People, both atheists and “believers,” hold a variety of concepts of God, or a higher transcendent truth or reality, which they either accept or, in the case of atheists, reject.
If asked, “Is There a Concept of God in Yoga?” we would need to understand what the person means by God?
Within Yoga or the sacred texts known as the Vedas, the understanding of God, is vast and extraordinarily complete understanding.
There was also an appreciation of the fact that God can be experienced differently by different people. He is said to “reward” seekers according to the nature of their “surrender”.
In the quest to find God, there was the recognition of the limitations of the mind and the severely limited external sense organs. It was recognized that spiritual reality is beyond the range of experimental knowledge. There is a Sanskrit word adhokṣaja which means “that which is beyond the measurement of our senses.”
The Vedas taught that despite the limitations of the body and mind, God is discoverable, but it requires a major change or purification of our consciousness. Arguments made on the “can you show me God” statement were considered ill-conceived and even childish.
The Bhāgavata Purāṇa famously elucidates that the Absolute Truth or Godhead is experienced in three features, as;
Brahman – brahmajyoti – the impersonal ocean of white light
Paramātmā – the Supreme Soul who permeates all of material creation and sits within the hearts of all living beings. The personal feature of God.
Bhagavān – the Supreme Personality of Godhead who is the highest object of love.
The texts I quoted in this talk.
As all surrender unto Me, I reward them accordingly. Everyone follows My path in all respects, O son of Pṛthā. Bhagavad-gītā 4.11
The atma/self is atomic in size and can be perceived by perfect intelligence. – Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad (3.1.9)
I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is Śyāmasundara, Kṛṣṇa Himself with inconceivable innumerable attributes, whom the pure devotees see in their heart of hearts with the eye of devotion tinged with the salve of love. – Brahma-saṁhitā 5.38
Learned transcendentalists who know the Absolute Truth call this nondual substance Brahman, Paramātmā or Bhagavān. – Bhāgavata Purāṇa 1.2.11
Īśvara (God) is a special Puruṣa, unlike other puruṣas, untouched by afflictions, actions (material activity) and the fruit of actions, and latent impressions or material desires. – Yoga-sūtra 1.24
Kṛṣṇa who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes. – Śrī Brahma-saṁhitā 5.1
