Swami Tadatmananda's journey from being "allergic to religion" to a contemplative life of prayer, scriptural study, and meditation. God or Ishvara is a reality that can be clearly known through Vedantic teachings and your own power of reasoning.

Ishvara is not merely a matter of faith, shraddha. The teachings of Advaita Vedanta provide a surprisingly clear definition of Ishvara as the "abhinna nimitta upadana karana" the efficient and material cause for the universe that is non-separate from it. Material and efficient cause are philosophical terms used to describe the two main factors necessary for any act of creation. To make a pot, the material cause is clay. But in addition to clay, a pot maker is also required. The potter is the efficient cause, the maker, the intelligent agent needed to make a pot.

Whereas the potter, efficient cause, is different from the clay, material cause, Ishvara is both the efficient and material cause for the universe. How? The Mundaka Upanishad gives a brilliant example of a spider, who possesses both the knowledge (jnana) and skill (shakti) needed to make the web, as well as material to make the web, which is spun from it's own body. In this way, the material out of which jagat, the universe is woven, is a manifestation of Ishvara himself. A spider can abandon its web, but Ishvara is abhinna, non-separate from the universe, so he can never abandon his creation. The Chandogya Upanishad says "sarvam khalvidam brahma," all this, the entire universe is nothing but brahman or Ishvara.

These teachings not only impart knowledge of Ishvara, but they also gradually lead to bhakti, devotional feelings of love and reverence. As Sri Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita, "The wise realize my divine nature and worship Me with devoted hearts after gaining knowledge of Me as the imperishable source of all beings." (9.13)
mahātmānas tu māṃ pārtha daivīṃ prakṛtim āśritāḥ .
bhajanty ananya-manaso jñātvā bhūtādim avyayam .. 9-13..

0:00 Problem of Dogmatism
8:04 Knowledge of Ishvara
20:09 Cultivating Devotion

Swami Tadatmananda is a traditionally-trained teacher of Advaita Vedanta, meditation, and Sanskrit. For more information, please see: https://www.arshabodha.org/