Christianity, Judaism, Islam, etc., are defined by their representatives and followers as monotheistic religions, whereas, for example, Hinduism is defined as polytheistic. Theologians analyze this issue in a historical context and treat ancient religions—such as the Greco-Roman pantheon or the Egyptian cult of the gods—in the same light as Hinduism. They regard monotheistic religions that emerged later in history as a higher ideological form than the more ancient religions, which are treated as polytheistic. This oversimplification—this linear, chronological way of thinking—leads to many errors. But let’s not even concern ourselves with how our theologians wander through the labyrinths of religions, since there are hardly any among them whose opinions are grounded in lived religious experience. Even if there are such individuals, in the best-case, their experience extends to only a single religion.

In contrast, I do not come from the world of theological colleges; I am not influenced by ingrained perspectives or schemas. I have personal experiences of god (in general), of God (specifically)—that is, of His personal forms—and even of His various aspects, including the impersonal realms. Moreover, all these experiences took place across several different religions; in this respect, I possess a unique, lived knowledge in this era. I cannot really hope that future generations will accept my point of view, but perhaps they will at least listen to it. A time will come that will be different, because human conceptions of God also change periodically—though on such a vast timescale that it is difficult to grasp within a single lifetime. I, too, cannot grasp it within a single lifetime, but rather through the repetition and integration of the experiences of my past lives.

Hinduism does not encompass a single religion, but from the moment of its inception, it has been a monotheistic faith. The one, universal God manifests in countless forms, thereby creating a divine pantheon. It is true that this one God is addressed by countless names, since Indian thinkers have developed various religious-philosophical systems to describe the diversity of God. The Hungarian people were monotheists even before the conquest of the Carpathian Basin; they brought their faith with them and preserved it during their migrations. Moreover, their god was a Hindu deity: RAMA—the final “A” is unstressed, so it became RAM. This ancient divine name has survived in the names RAM Mountain, RAM Ravine, and RAM Stream. In other words, this name is much older than was ever assumed. This area was already a place of worship before the reign of Stephen I.

In the Middle East, the emergence of monotheism is linked to the history of Judaism, which was considered a novelty only in comparison to the surrounding polytheistic religions. Religions defined as monotheistic present a single aspect of God to the believers, based on revelation. In contrast, in Hinduism, the various forms of God are based on personal experiences in which the specific deity was realized. This is a significant difference, because no one who wished to belong to a given culture could question revelation, whereas experience is as varied as the number of people it affects. In India, therefore, the divine pantheon emerged through the collective experiences of sages, seers, and yogis who had realized God, leading to an interpenetrating diversity of religions, whereas religions based on revelation resulted in belief systems that were isolated from one another.

Following this brief overview, I would like to share my own personal, synthesized experiences with the reader. These experiences occurred during deep meditation (samadhi), and the experience of oneness with the respective aspect of God resulted in an integrated understanding. In these meditations, consciousness does not reside in the physical body, but rather at various levels of the spiritual world—and even above them. At the EYA-N yoga school, these meditative methods can be mastered, and depending on their level of consciousness, students can verify the truth of my statements for themselves—in other words, this is not a matter of revelation! I am describing only the final outcome of these experiences; the details are available to the most accomplished students of the yoga school.

Continued: The Faces of God II and III.

Margaret Rhasoda Varga
guru of UCCM
Budapest, Hungary