Jay: If God comes sometimes on earth, is He the same as we are, or is He different from us?
Grandma: This is a very good question, Jay. It has been answered both ways. For example, look at my chain and my ring and this gold coin. They are all made of gold, so you can see them as gold. And you can see everything else made of gold as gold. They are different forms of gold. But you can also think of them as separate things a chain, a ring, or a coin. The chain, the ring, and the coin are nothing but different shapes and forms of gold. In the same way, we can look at the Lord and His creation as nothing but an expansion of the Lord Himself. This viewpoint is known as non-dualistic (or Advaita) philosophy. The other viewpoint sees God as one reality and creation as a different reality but dependent on God. This dualistic (or Dvaita) philosophy considers objects made of gold (such as a chain and a ring and a coin) different from gold (Gita 9.04-06).
Jay: Is that what people mean when they say God is everywhere and in everything?
Grandma: Yes, Jay, God is the Sun, the Moon, and the wind; fire, trees, earth, and stones, in the same way as everything made of gold is gold. That’s why Hindus see and worship God in the stone and the tree as if these are God Himself in that form.
Jay: If everything comes from the Lord, then will everything become the Lord again, as everything made of gold can be melted into just gold again?
Grandma: Yes, Jay, the cycle of creation and destruction keeps on going. It’s like turning my chain and ring and coin into gold again and then using the gold to make new jewelry and coins (Gita 9.07-08). The entire creation appears and disappears again and again.
Jay: If Lord is us, and we all come from the Lord, then why doesn’t everyone love and worship Lord?
Grandma: Those who understand this truth worship God. They know the Lord is our Lord, and we are from Him, for Him, and we depend on Him, so they love and worship Him. But the ignorant do not understand or believe in universal God.
Jay: If I pray to God everyday and love Him and offer Him flowers or fruit, will He be pleased and help me in my studies?
Grandma: Lord Krishna said in the Gita that He takes care of all the needs of His devotees who worship Him with strong faith and loving devotion (Gita 9.22).
Jay: Does that mean that God loves only those who pray and worship Him?
Grandma: God loves all of us the same, but if we remember Him and pray to Him, we come closer to God. So we all should think of God, worship Him, meditate, and bow down to Him with faith, love, and devotion.
Jay: I would like to be close to the Lord Krishna, Grandma. How can I have more faith in Him and love Him more?
Grandma: Just think of all the nice things God does for us. He gives us so many different foods we enjoy. He gave us the Sun for heat and light. Look at the beautiful sky with the Moon, the stars and clouds in the night. This is all His beautiful creation, so think how beautiful the creator Himself must be! Worshiping God is saying thank you for His kindness. Praying is asking for what we need from God. Meditating is connecting with the Supreme power to get help and guidance.
Jay: If there is only one God who gives us everything, why do you have so many deities in your prayer (Poojā) room, Grandma? Why don’t you just worship the one Lord Krishna?
Grandma: Lord Krishna said: “Those who worship other deities, also worship Me through those deities.” (Gita 9.23). We can worship any deity we feel close to. That favorite deity is called IshtaDeva, our own personal god (or the guardian angel) who becomes our personal guide and protector.
Jay: Why do we offer fruits and flowers to God?
Grandma: Lord Krishna said in the Gita that anyone who offers Him a leaf, a flower, a fruit, water, or anything with love and devotion, He not only accepts it, but eats the offerings! (Gita 9.26). That’s why we always offer our food to God with a prayer before we eat it. Food offered to God is called Prasāda or Prasādam. Anybody can reach God who worships Him with faith, love and devotion. This path of devotion is open to all of us.
Jay: Grandma, what if a person is a sinful thief or robber. Can that person also love God?
Grandma: Yes, Jay. Lord Krishna has said in the Gita: If even the most sinful person decides to worship Me with loving devotion, such a person soon becomes a saint because he or she has made the right decision (Gita 9.31).