Where does God live?

Usually, we believe that God would have been living somewhere in the sky and would have been operating from there. He must be looking elderly in his white-bearded or white clothing. After it a common Hindu thinks that he would live in heaven, his palace would be bathed with divine light. And a common Muslim thinks that No, the house of God is in the ‘Jannat’, he would be sitting there and noting down the prayer of his subjects.

The man is confused for years in this web of fantasies. In the name of God only illusion is being sold to him. To him, the imagination of heaven, hell and the places of his dwelling are being sold. With such imaginations, people assume that God would have his house among the clouds. However, this is an unsolved mystery which people sort out according to their own imaginations. But why is this so mysterious? Will God's house be really around these human fantasies? As the imagination of human being, likewise is the house of God?

Does not it seem that nearly all the nations of the world have created God's living space as per their own imagination! Actually, all this was born during the last 3 thousand years. God is the same as he was but the pictures were not there. There was neither mosque, idols, nor the church and gurudwaras. There was just praise to God but praying hours were not. there was no ‘Ajan’. There was no noise of worshipers. In those times, the person used to go into meditation in the silent stage and then while being in the depths of the inner being, experienced the joy of meeting with God in meditation.

In order to solve this mystery, first of all, we have to understand and believe God that how this vast universe is running on its own, without any accident, with no-watchman, billions and trillions of bright stars are running. The earth is roaming on its axis for millions of years in the same way. The weather is changing at its time. The vast ocean is constantly stretching its shore from its waves. Do you think that such a big universe is moving on without any regularly or power behind it?

All the things are going well. The universe has been running from time immemorial. No one keeps a record, nor there is an alarm clock which tells the sun that let's wake up and rise! Even the moon is constantly scattering its coolness on earth without any command. Everything is going perfectly well. Crores of galaxies and planetary constellations are roaming, who knows where they could collide in the darkness! No one is taking care of them, neither is there any red-green light, nor traffic signal. There is neither court nor any of the rule book but still, everything is going systematically.

So, unless one is self-propelled like a living body, how can any external controller handle its system from eternity by sitting in the sky? He will be bored. After all, for whom all these things exist? He is not getting paid for anything. Would he not be thinking that what will I get at the end?

The reality of this discourse is that there is not any power operating the universe from outside. Just think that can an engine can be separated from the car? Will it be possible running a car if its engine is placed somewhere else? The answer is no. A car will only run when the engine is placed inside it. Likewise, such a large universe can be made functional by the force sitting inside only. As the soul operates inside the body, then surely that anyone who is the creator, more profound, the executor must be within the cosmos. Therefore, it is said in the Yajurveda that the particle which exists in the particle, which is formless, which is ubiquitous, which is eternal, which is unborn, that is the same divine. At the end of the 40th chapter of Yajurveda, the essence of the mantra is that Hey human! As I am here so am there in sun or in other planets, I am the eldest, I am the smallest, I am also here, also there. Hence, it is clearly understood that there is no fixed place of God. He exists equally in each small and each big thing. That the divine power is formless and universally valid. That's why fantasies of his paintings and place of dwelling are merely illusions.

Vinay Arya (General Secretary) Arya Samaj