God Is One - The Supreme Absolute Truth
Śrīla Prabhupāda repeatedly emphasizes that the Absolute Truth is one without a second. Despite the diverse names and approaches found in different cultures and traditions, the Supreme Personality of Godhead remains the singular, undivided source of all creation, completely distinct from the innumerable subordinate living entities.
The Universal Supreme Being
In material society, people often create sectarian divisions, claiming God belongs exclusively to their faith. Śrīla Prabhupāda clarifies that God is universal; just as gold remains gold regardless of who holds it, God is never restricted by mundane designations like Hindu, Muslim, or Christian.
- God is one. God is neither Christian nor Hindu or Muslim or... No. God is God. Just like gold. Gold is gold. Either in the Hindu community, or Muslim community, gold is gold.
- God is one. There cannot be any Hindu God or Muslim God or Christian God. God is for everyone, for the human society and less than human society, animal society.
- God is neither Hindu nor Muslim nor Christian. God is God. God is one. But according to time and climate, condition, the method of approaching God may be different, but the ultimate end is how to love God or how to serve God.
- You cannot say, "This is Hindu gold," "This is Muslim gold," "This is Christian gold." Gold is gold. Similarly, God is one. You cannot say, "This is Hindu God," "This is Muslim God," "This is Christian God." God is one, and eternal.
The True Meaning of Religion
If there is only one Supreme Being, then the laws dictated by Him must also be fundamentally one. Śrīla Prabhupāda defines true religion (dharma) simply as obedience to the orders of the Supreme Lord, which ultimately culminates in pure, unalloyed love for Him.
- Religion is one. God is one. And the order given by God, that is religion.
- Actual religion is that God is one and religion means the orders, the law given by God. That's all. Simple definition. Just like state is one, government is one, and to become good citizen means to abide by the laws of the government. That's all.
- The simplest definition of dharma is that dharma is the order of the Supreme Being. Since the Supreme Being, God, is one, His order must be one. How, then, can there be different dharmas? It is not possible.
- God is one and religion is one. What is that religion? Love of God. That's all. There is no other second religion. This is the religion.
The Singular Maintainer of All
The Vedic literatures clearly distinguish between the singular Absolute Truth and the plural living entities (nityo nityānām). Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that while we are the innumerable dependent souls, God is the one supreme eternal who effortlessly maintains everyone.
- Nitya, bhagavan, is the singular, and nityanam are the plural jivas, or living beings. Nityo nityanam: we are many, but God is one.
- Nityo nityanam: He (The Lord) is the chief of all living entities; He is one, but He maintains many, many living entities.
- We are supported by God. He is one, God is one. And the supported Brahmans, or living entities, they are innumerable, beyond the numerical strength. Asankhya. Nobody can count how many living entities are there, but God is one.
- God is one, and we are many, but He is worshiped because He provides for everyone. It is God who provides food and all the other necessities of life.
Expansions and Manifestations
Although God is singular and absolute, He possesses the inconceivable potency to expand Himself into infinite forms and energies. Śrīla Prabhupāda uses the analogy of a multifaceted jewel to explain how the one Absolute Truth manifests as Brahman, Paramātmā, and Bhagavān without ever losing His original oneness.
- In the Brahma-samhita it is stated that the Lord is one Absolute, but He has ananta, or innumerable, forms. Advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam.
- The Absolute Truth is one, but some accept Him as impersonal Brahman, some as the Supersoul existing everywhere, and some as Bhagavan, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The central point is the Absolute Truth.
- It is confirmed by the Sruti-mantra that the Absolute is one alone, and yet He becomes many as soon as He so desires. These manifold expansions of the Supreme Lord are manifested as plenary and separated portions.
- There is a valuable jewel stone. If you turn, you will find many colorful manifestations, although that stone is one. Similarly, although God is one, He can manifest Himself in many forms. That is the prerogative of God.
Demigods are not the Supreme
Less intelligent persons often mistake the powerful administrative agents of the universe for the Supreme Lord. Śrīla Prabhupāda strictly differentiates the one Supreme God from the millions of demigods, who are simply empowered living entities acting as His subordinate servants.
- Although there are millions of demigods, God is one. It is not that there are a million Gods. Of course, God can expand in millions of forms, but that is different.
- Isvarah paramah krsnah. The Supreme God is one-Krsna-and the demigods are delegated with powers to manage this material world. These demigods are all living entities (nityanam) with different grades of material power.
- We should not think that the demigods are God. God is one, but there are demigods who are also living entities just like us. The difference is that they have a considerable amount of power.
- God is one, but there are many other powerful living entities who are in charge of different departments of administration. They are called demigods.
Refuting Māyāvāda and Pantheism
Atheists and impersonalist philosophers often falsely claim that every living being is God. Śrīla Prabhupāda vigorously refutes this Māyāvādī misconception, noting that while we share a qualitative spiritual oneness with the Lord, quantitatively, God remains the supreme, singular master.
- God is one. There cannot be two. So if I think I am God, then everyone is also God, so God becomes plural, so there is not God. God is one. Therefore, God is great, we are small. In quality we are one.
- God may be within anything, but that does not mean that He is equal or one within. That is the Mayavadi philosophy, a foolish philosophy. Because I am within this room, does it mean that the room and myself are the same? I am more important than the room.
- In so many respect, qualities, you are one with God, but that does not mean you are God. God is one. That means you have no complete understanding. Just like in spite of your becoming American or human being, you deny to identify yourself with President.
- We are eternal, we are many, and God is also eternal, but He is one. He is singular number. Not that all of us, we are God. That is nonsense.
Conclusion
The realization that God is one is the absolute bedrock of true spiritual knowledge. Śrīla Prabhupāda thoroughly dispels the illusions of sectarianism, polytheism, and impersonalism by establishing the Supreme Personality of Godhead as the undisputed, singular source of everything. Whether expanding into infinite incarnations, supplying the necessities of all living entities, or dictating the universal principles of dharma, the Lord remains eternally one without a second. By abandoning fabricated religious differences and surrendering to the one supreme father, the conditioned soul achieves the ultimate perfection of universal love and devotion.
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Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category God Is One. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.