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Jay: If Lord Krishna said He will take care of us if we always remember and adore Him, then I want to know and love God. How do I do that, Grandma?
Grandma: The love of God is called devotion (Bhakti). If you have devotion, God will give you the knowledge and understanding of
the Self (Gita 10.10). The more you know and think about God’s glory, power and greatness, the stronger your love will grow. Thus the knowledge and love of God go together.
Jay: God is so great, and powerful, how can I really know Him?
Grandma: Nobody can fully know God. He is the cause of cosmic energy and power, a cause that will remain a big mystery. God is
unborn, without beginning or end. Only God can really know God! (Gita 10.15). If anyone says, I know God, that person does not know. Anyone who knows the Truth says: I do not know God.
Jay: Then what can we know about God, Grandma?
Grandma: God knows everything, but nobody can know God. According to Sankara, the entire creation is nothing but another form of God. The creation has come out of God’s energy called Māyā. Everything comes from Him and eventually goes back to Him. God is One, but has become many. He is everywhere and in everything (Gita 10.19-39). He is the Generator or creator (Brahmā), Operator or maintainer (Vishnu), and Destroyer (Mahesha) of all beings. He creates everything, including the sun, moon, stars, wind, water, air, fire, and veven our thoughts, feelings, intellect, and other qualities. We can see His glory and greatness throughout creation. The beautiful sky with earth and all the planets you see is only a small part of His glory. Seeing God everywhere purifies our mind and makes us a better person.
Here is a story about why we know very little about God (Gita 10.15).
13. The Four Blind Men
Four blind men went to see an elephant.
One touched the leg of the elephant and
said, “The elephant is like a pole.”
The second touched the trunk and said,
“The elephant is like a thick club.”
The third touched the belly and said,
“The elephant is like a big jar.”
The fourth touched the ear and said,
“The elephant is like a big hand fan.”
Thus they began to quarrel amongst
themselves as to the shape of the elephant.
A passer-by, seeing them thus quarreling,
said, “Why are you all quarreling?” They
told him the problem and asked him to be the
judge.
The man said: “None of you has seen
the elephant. The elephant is not like a pole;
its legs are like poles. It is not like a thick
club; its trunk is like a thick club. It is not like
a big jar; its belly is like a big jar. It is not like
a fan; its ear is like a fan. The elephant is all
these legs, trunk, belly, ears and much
more.”
In the same way, those who argue about
the nature of God have known only a small
part of His Reality. That’s why sages say God
is “neither this, nor that.”
Jay: What about people who do not believe in God?
Grandma: Such people are called atheists or disbelievers. They do not believe in the existence of a creator because they cannot comprehend how such a cosmic person or power can exist. So they question and doubt the existence of God. Their doubts may be erased
someday when they find a real spiritual master or guru by the grace of God. Atheists are those whose journey towards God has not yet begun. Doubts arise even in the minds of believers; therefore, just have faith, believe in God, and do your duty.
Chapter 10 summary:
Nobody can know God, the Supreme Being, because He or She is
the origin of all beings, the cause of all causes. Everything, including our body, mind, thoughts, and feelings, comes from God. He is the creator, supporter, and destroyer of all. He is infinite and has no beginning or end. The entire universe is the expansion of a tiny fraction of His energy (Gita 10.41-42). All deities
are just the names of His various powers. Worshiping God with faith, using any name, form, and method gives us what we want and helps us become good and peaceful.