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I am a European philosophically convinced by Hindu metaphysics (more particularly by advaita vedanta in the tradition of Adi Shankara that I discovered via René Guénon). I say this to explain that I came to Hinduism by reason, not by faith in the Scriptures, so this argument of authority does not convince me on its own.

There is one thing I don't understand; why pray to gods, and believe that gods exist?

Not only do they seem not to exist in themselves, and that I see no reason other than blind faith to believe in them, but even in the idea that they exist they are only illusory forms of the Brahman who is impersonal, so prayer becomes even more useless. I have difficulty understanding how one can believe in Brahman from a "vedantine" point of view (with the identity of Being and Consciousness and impersonal non-dual reality) and believe in the gods and actually pray to them.

I hope I'm clear, thank you.

edit : I do not doubt the Brahman but precisely the mutiple and personal gods, I see no reason other than blind faith to believe in them, (I am not talking about Brahman, I repeat it, but about Ishvara, Shiva, Krishna etc), and that even if they exist from the vedantin point of view they are illusions of an impersonal reality so prayer is always useles, so this subject is not a duplication of the other one that talks about Brahman's existence

Kalapa
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  • my question is about the multiple personal gods not the Absolute (Brahman) who can be called God – Kalapa Mar 25 '19 at 08:31
  • Absolute Brahman is generally NOT translated as God.Personal God is termed as Ishvara or Bhagavan –  Mar 25 '19 at 08:32
  • Yes, I know, but my question still stands, it also applies even to Ishvara who (if he exists) is an illusion, so no interest in praying to him, in the end everything is impersonal Brahman so prayer is useless – Kalapa Mar 25 '19 at 08:35
  • Who told it that its an illusion? –  Mar 25 '19 at 08:36
  • That He is different from our True Self is an illusion –  Mar 25 '19 at 08:37
  • in fact I do not doubt the Brahman but precisely the mutiple and personal gods I see no reason other than blind faith to believe in them (I am not talking about Brahman, I repeat it, but about Ishvara, Shiva, Krishna etc) and that even if they exist from the vedantin point of view they are illusions of an impersonal reality so prayer is always useless – Kalapa Mar 25 '19 at 08:37
  • No, not illusion.Its vyavaharika, pratibhasika and paramarthika.Illusion is a wrong translation –  Mar 25 '19 at 08:38
  • ishvara, krishna, etc., all this is Brahman

    so they're illusory existences. the ultimate reality is Brahman and it is impersonal. so there's no point in praying illusions or praying something impersonal

     – Kalapa Mar 25 '19 at 08:43
  • That theory also says that "everything" is illusion - including you yourself .. so as long as you are not perceiving yourself to be an illusion your prayer isn't an illusion either .. The worship of a form does have a role to way .. because almost everyone can not do without it @Kalapa – Rickross Mar 25 '19 at 14:50
  • You mean that for the illusory ego that still lives in the world, prayer has a reality like the world and his everyday life? it is only when awakened to the fundamental reality that everything is transcended? – Kalapa Mar 25 '19 at 15:00
  • @Kalapa -"I do not doubt the Brahman" & "I came to Hinduism by reason, not by faith in the Scriptures" - are contradictory statements. there is no philosophical or scientific 'REASON' by which you can believe in the existence of Brahman. The sole indicator of something called Brahman existing is SCRIPTURE (VEDAS). – ram Mar 25 '19 at 15:11
  • Related or duplicate of World is real even according to Advait Vedanta? and Everything is a thought then why does this present moment feel so real? – The Destroyer Mar 25 '19 at 15:12
  • This is an excellent question, but there might be an overlap with this and this. You can edit and make it unique. – Say No To Censorship Mar 25 '19 at 16:46
  • Hi @Kalapa if everything other than the Brahman is false then who will worship the Brahman bcos the Brahman alone is existing ? :-) – TheLittleNaruto Mar 25 '19 at 17:22

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