Hungary is a meeting point for different cultures. Almost all religious and philosophical systems are represented here. Yet, among their representatives there is no real communicatios, neither they know nor perhaps wanting to know, the other's system of views and nomenclature. Probably because each adheres to his/her own, and considers it the only one that is salutary and timeless. Monotheistic religions, after all, define the meaning of human life in the same terms: serving God and returning to Him. Therefore, the scriptures of the different religions cannot claim differently on fundamental issues, but at most people are unable to see the similarities because of their limited thinking. Now, on the basis of the Christian Bible (Old and New Testaments) and the Vedic scriptures (Shrímad Bhagavatam, henceforth S.B.), we seek to answer the question, who are the angels? 

There are numerous references to them in the Bible: an angel of the Lord appeared to Moses in a burning bush and told him of his mission; angels brought news of the birth of their child and the circumstances of his birth to Mary and Joseph, and many more examples. All the events connected with the appearance of angels are identical on a few points:

- they are always referred to as angels of the Lord:

"2. And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in the flame of fire..." (Exodus Part 3)
"25. When the ass saw the angel of the Lord, it pressed against the wall, and pressed Balaam's foot against the wall too..." (Deuteronomy 22:22)
"20. ...the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit." (Matthew ev. part 1)
"2. And there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and went there and rolled away the stone from the entrance of the sepulchre, and sat upon it." (Matthew ev. 28) 

- at all times mediate God's will or act according to His will,
- their bodies are transcendental, so not everyone can perceive them,
- forces with independent consciousness, they can appear in a delimited form (i. e. they can take a personal form), but this does not limit their power, nor have any spatial or temporal limits.
- beings of light, rays of the Holy Spirit's love.
The biblical creation story mentions three stages of creation: in the primary creation, God created the angels first, followed by the creation of the world of ideas (the mental image of other beings), and then the material world, including the material form of man (Genesis-I begins with the latter, there is no mention of angels, so this must have happened first). 

According to the Vedic scriptures (S.B.), God (Vishnu, whose personal form is Krishna) first expanded into three forms of Vishnu, forming the trinity: the Maha-Vishnu (Fatherly factor), the Garbhodakasayi-Vishnu (Sonship factor); and the Ksírodakasayi-Vishnu, who is the all-pervading Supersoul (Paramatma, or motherly factor, Holy Spirit). Subsequently, the so-called Vishnu-tattvas came into being in the course of the primary creation. They are defined as the unified (not separated) whole parts of Vishnu (Krishna), or parts of them. Subsequently, Garbhodakasayi-Visnu created Brahma, who was given the task of creating the material universe with all its living beings (these are the so-called jiva-tattvas). They are defined as separate, integral parts of Vishnu (Krishna). 

The essential difference between the visnu-tattvas and the jiva-tattvas is that the visnu-tattvas are not separated from the unity (unified, whole parts), whereas the jiva-tattvas are (separate, organic parts). 

Where can the angels be in the S.B.? The angels are mentioned in Vedic scriptures, but not as mediators of God's will. Does this mean that the existence of angels is some kind of Judeo-Christian peculiarity? Why did the sages who followed and taught the Vedas never see angels? 

The S. B. (Cant. 3, chap. 10) mentions angels among the demigods created by Brahma as apsaras, which was translated as angels. There is no reason to doubt that the apsaras are indeed angels, since Brahma in his own creation is only repeating, one level below, all that he saw from God, i.e. creating on the pattern of the primordial creation. Then, however, among the beings created by God there must be present the higher representatives of the apsaras as visnu- tattvas. According to the S. B., the demigods (jiva-tattvas) are the controllers of the material universe, and the visnu-tattvas are the mediators and executors of the will of God (Vishnu-Krishna), and they who sometimes appear as divine incarnations come from the latter. They have a transcendental body which is above the effects of matter (maya), i.e. their powers are not limited and they have no barriers of space, time, etc. 

This means that the Christian and Vedic views of angels can be reconciled. Since angels are extensions of the Holy Spirit, they can be classified as Vishnu-tattvas, who are superior entities to the Demigods and Nature Spirits who control the material universe, but it should be noted that in common parlance the latter are often considered as angels. 

Jesus was connected to the highest angelic circles. This explains why he could tame the forces of nature and calm the tempestuous sea:

"26. ... Then he (Jesus) arose, rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was great calm.
27 And the men were astonished, saying, who is this, that both winds and sea should submit to him?
(Matthew 8) 

Contact with angels is a great opportunity in Kali-yuga - the time of arguments and disagreements - and the following ages, to not lose sight of our path and find our way back to God. Communication with our guardian angel (after proper study) provides us with spiritual guidance and spiritual teaching in this age when self-proclaimed 'saviours' are mushrooming. Ordinary people without the guidance of angels cannot discern who is a true teacher and who is a false one, because even transcendentalists can be deceived by falling under the influence of maya. If you depend on your guardian angel, you depend only on God! Your spiritual guide (guardian angel) will bring you to the highest level of God-consciousness, so that you can attain the ultimate goal of human life, free from the bondage of the material world (ignorance, passion, goodness): return to God and eternal devotional service.

Margaret Rhasoda-Varga
UCCM head-master
(Dimensiongate, excerpt)