“While pantheism asserts that “all is God, “panentheism claims that God is greater than the universe. Some versions of panentheism suggest that the universe is nothing more than the manifestation of God , this way of thinking is popular with impersonal philosophically minded people, including Albert Einstein, who thought in that way , as do many scientific community members . In addition to this thinking , other philosophically minded persons have indicated that the universe is contained within God , but that God is outside as well .
Let’s see what the Vedas say.
The very first verse of the Srimad Bhagavatam gives us the full understanding of Divinity. He has unlimited expansions , and is directly and indirectly conscious of every aspect of creation , He is indeed inside, outside, near but far , the smallest but the greatest . He is everywhere but nowhere. Such is His trancendental form which has no limits imposed upon it , God does not need to learn anything, He is the origins and the totality of all knowledge, not a blade of grass moves without Him knowing. In quantum physics, it’s called instant communication .
His descent to the material realms are described in the Vedas. A complete list of the different types of Avatars and incarnations are referred to as well as their individual purposes . It is stated that as many waves there are in the oceans , there are the same quantities of incarnations in one form or another of Divinity… and more . There are millions of material universes. Thus, incarnations can be understood in the context of how many universes exist . There are also multidimensional aspects , we can not with our limited senses see all things .
But as a summary and a general understanding, the first verse of the Bhagavatam offers us this.
O my Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, son of Vasudeva, O all-pervading Personality of Godhead, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You. I meditate upon Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa because He is the Absolute Truth and the primeval cause of all causes of the creation, sustenance and destruction of the manifested universes. He is directly and indirectly conscious of all manifestations, and He is independent because there is no other cause beyond Him. It is He only who first imparted the Vedic knowledge unto the heart of Brahmājī, the original living being. By Him even the great sages and demigods are placed into illusion, as one is bewildered by the illusory representations of water seen in fire, or land seen on water. Only because of Him do the material universes, temporarily manifested by the reactions of the three modes of nature, appear factual, although they are unreal. I therefore meditate upon Him, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is eternally existent in the transcendental abode, which is forever free from the illusory representations of the material world. I meditate upon Him, for He is the Absolute Truth.
The universal Vedic veiw , a universe and beyond.
Modern scientific thinkers , namely those following scientific materialism in all its forms , assume the universe three dimensional . However, the Vedas brings us to the realisations of the multidimensional universe , one of the unlimited universes that make up approximately one forth of the totality of existence , spiritual and material . Many contemporary physicists , including the Harvard Prof . Lisa Randall also very often think along Vedic lines . We can say universes within universes within universes . Each universe , according to the Vedas, has a different engineer called Bramha , each of these Bramhas’ have different capacities according to the size of the universe they are overseeing . So, measurements of Vedic universes incorporate aspects that limited conditioned senses can not detect . Certainly , there are red shift anomalies within the calculations in modern cosmological calculations , Dr Richard Thompson, (Sadaputa das) mentions this in his book on Vedic cosmology . Are the stars so far away ? on one level, maybe on another level , maybe not .
For instance, Vedic cosmological calculations describe features of dimensional space only eight hundred miles above this planet earth . The Upadeva planets are present, and they exist within their own particular dimension . We can not see this region , but its influences are felt by some, and its further influences are enacted that have repercussions on our planet . In regards to the senses and the differences , even on this earth, we can examine them. Can you hear a dog whistle ? or have the vision of a cat , the detail they see in the dark ? can you hear the low pitch of a whales call ? They can hear each other from up to 1000 miles away within the oceans . Mystics and yogis in the past , the Vedas indicates , frequently communed and commuted to these realms within the ethereal planes . Not so much now, though , due to rampant materialism and inpure consciousness , but still , a very few can still do so . In some parts of the Vedas , the localised universe is described as 4.5 billion miles , but that should be understood in context to the greater universal picture.
The greatly renowned Vedic cosmological scholar in Gaudiya Vaisnavism says this ..
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakura, recognized as a master of both Siddhantic Vedic astronomy and Puranic literature, provided specific measurements regarding the size of the universe based on classical Vedic texts . He maintained that the universe is vast, egg-shaped (brahmanda), and, while immense, is only one of innumerable universes in the material creation.
Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura quotes ancient Vedic texts like the Siddhānta-śiromaṇi to describe the mind-boggling scale of a single universe .
He explains that a single universe measures roughly 149 quadrillion miles in circumference. This vast size includes the core planetary systems, which span 4 .5 billion miles in diameter, they are surrounded by seven massive elemental layers. These layers could be thought of as the store houses of the atomic realms that facilitate the many possibilities of the expanding universe. Expanding by the desires and constant activity of the living beings . The responsive universes are fulfilling and arranging the individual and collective karmic synchronicities of each soul . As soon as the living beings are injected into the universe by Maha Visnu , the universe, along with its activities and varieties of designated time periods for each living being , begins further and further expansions . Each successive layer of the universe (consisting of water, fire, air, ether, etc.) expands in multiples of each other .
The material universe indeed encompasses immense distance trillions upon trillions of miles and beyond . Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura used these descriptions to highlight the inconceivable, gigantic scale of material creation and its multidimensional features which are relative to the eternal spiritual world . Each one of the higher Vaikuntha planets can easily contain all these material universes . The main spiritual abode , Goloka Vrndavana, the centre of spiritual existence , can contain all the Vaikuntha planets .The mystery of the Goloka Vrndavana planet is that it appears as a village 17 miles in diameter . However, the whole of existence is within this seventeen miles . Thus, Srila Bhaktisiddanta Sarasvati Goswami Maharaja is shining a light on multidimensional space . The Vedas also says within one atom , Lord Visnu is fully present along with His complete existence. When it comes to ” spiritual physics,” or math , we can not limit ourselves to the working of matter within the laws of three-dimensional space or time , or regulation math ,1+1 =1 and 1-1=1 1÷1=1 are spiritual math calculations . Marie Currie, the Nobel prize winner for her studies of radiation , took time to study telepathy and knew of its significance. Niels Bohr and Schrödinger , as well as Einstein and Richard Feynman, could easily comprehend and accept the endless and inescapable possibilities and understandings of multidimensionalism and its very realistic existence .The third and fifth Canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam highlights some of these cosmological affairs , Srila AC Bhavtivedanta Swami has published the Bhagavatam, its available in all languages throughout the world.
How Divinity is situated
The understanding is that Divinity is everywhere, but nowhere He is inside and outside. How can this be ? It’s due to His specific relationships . Although He is everywhere and neutral , same time , He specifically reveals Himself in His fullness to His specific devotees in different circumstances , this is according to how the devotees relate with Him . He says in the Bhagavad Gita, “As you do, my worship and think of me , I think of you and commune with you “. . Or “as you relate to me , so I relate to you “. In the highest of spiritual circles , Divinity or Krishna exhibits his most complete form , the sweetness of Divinity is understood through love for Him . Love and understanding is important everywhere. The most mature spiritual thinkers take their trancendental position , behind the prominent eternal devotees who reside in Vrndavana . We can not possibly stand before Dhira Lalita Krishna , says Srila AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada , ” we would burn up,” so intense is the pure love and spiritual rasa , so stand behind his intimate friends, family or lovers .
Actually, even in this material world, there are some incredible personalities , and even they are somewhat unfathomable . What to speak of Radha Krishna Nitya Lila and the spiritual kingdoms.
The Goswamis ‘of Vrndavana and their writings gives us an insight into these spiritual realms, and Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur, in his purports of the book of Ragganathha das Goswamis called ” Mana Siksa ” says we should regard the Goswamis as our own personal Siksa Gurus.
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