The Divine

• Picture language and parables (stories with a spiritual meaning) have been used by religious teachers in all faiths to help people understand difficult concepts about God
• Different aspects of the Divine for Hindus


  • Existing everywhere, as a non-personal God (Brahman)
  • Being within the heart of everyone (antaryami)
  • As a personal God or Lord (bhagavan) approached through many different deities
• The Divine


  • Beyond gender, name and form
  • Perfect form, e.g. the perfect man or the eternal mother
  • A family of deities
• Brahman


  The Supreme Being, existing everywhere
• Antaryami


  The God within, existing within the heart of everyone
• Bhagavan


  The personal God or Lord, approached through many different deities
• Vaikuntha


  The perfect, spiritual world
• Aspects of the Divine


  • All-powerful
  • Creator
  • Mother
  • Female
  • Friend
  • Judge
  • Teacher
  • Male
  • Animal
• Tri-murti


  The three main deities or aspects of God: Brahma (the Creator), Vishnu (the Preserver), Shiva (the Destroyer)
• All Hindu scriptures, especially the Puranas, give information about Hindu gods and the many different aspects of the Divine
• The Puranas are popular stories in Hindu religion that give information about personal deities, individual gods and goddesses, and the many different aspects of the Divine