“From Scriptures to Self: Where Does God Truly Exist?”

Does God exist?

Between thousands of reasons to believe and many rational arguments not to, stands a vast ocean of faith and conviction. Often, the interpretation of God is considered the first step in connecting with religion. It is believed that God created us, formed the universe, established moral codes and traditions, and presented examples in living forms for the upliftment of humanity. God infused life into beings and revealed Himself in different places through various forms and miracles.

In existing religious scriptures, God appears as a responsible force that either manifests directly or through a messenger to establish order. In philosophy, however, this same God is not seen as a doer but as a formless existence. Amid concepts like life and death, karma and consequence, sin and virtue, the worldly and beyond, knowledge and awakening—we operate assuming the existence of a force called God as the origin of all these ideas.

In religions founded around a messenger, son, or messiah, God exists—formless, yet expressing His will through someone. Interestingly, even in religions where no clear form of God is described (such as Sikhism, Jainism, Buddhism, Bahá’í), the behavior of followers often mirrors that of polytheistic or monotheistic traditions. This suggests that due to human needs and cultural influences, beliefs, traditions, rituals, customs, and even superstitions tend to be similar across religions. Over time, humanity’s relationship with religion has evolved into a patterned behavior.

The stories surrounding religious places, the lives of saints and gurus, devotion, the rituals embedded in life’s ups and downs, and daily religious practices—all show a striking similarity when observed closely.

For those who do not believe in God, there is a certain ease—they can attribute every action to human responsibility and stand aside as spectators. This is visible in times like the COVID pandemic or today’s war-torn world. Our scriptures are filled with teachings guiding humans toward the right path. To influence people, many divine events are narrated—astonishing in nature—helping religion take shape as both psychology and a unifying force for communities.

Even after identifying suffering as the root of existence, followers of Gautama Buddha have not entirely moved beyond idol worship. In Jainism, despite teachings of detachment and the five principles, the glory of religious donations has become a major attraction. In Sikhism, the sacred scripture is considered the ultimate truth, yet followers are still drawn toward miracles associated with other religions.

Those who seek God are often seen walking the path of renunciation, leading us to form firm opinions. Saints hold significance in every religion—they are truth-seeking souls who interpret and present experiences of God beyond what is already written or spoken. Today, however, there is some disappointment regarding saints, and we often end up accepting eloquent speakers as recipients of divine grace.

Proofs of God are now mostly verbal assertions. Even those who walk consistently on a path often draw motivation from external desires, embarking on incomplete journeys. Perhaps all efforts to reach God ultimately come from self-exploration, yet we struggle to truly understand the essence of “Ekam sat, vipra bahudha vadanti”—truth is one, the wise describe it in many ways.

Amid beliefs about God’s presence in religious places, the divinity of enlightened beings, spiritual experiences in the material world, traditions and faith, and ever-evolving revelations—we still lack our own clear definition of God. While every divine messenger or realized being describes God as formless, living that realization in a tangible way is seen merely as an event.

Across religions, sects and divisions have treated God as an object or something that can be manifested and distributed. As a result, there is now an abundance of forms, and people have become attached to these forms. Attachment is the first step of illusion. What was meant to bring complete understanding has instead turned into an exhausting pursuit.

The concept of God remains firmly established between proofs and beliefs. The yearning to understand, attain, and embrace God has always existed. But how does one truly find Him? The answer lies solely with the seeker. What that experience feels like—its form, taste, and essence—is beyond expression.

For some, the path opens through discipline, meditation, penance, and initiation; for others, through action, relationships, humanity, and compassion. As a principle, God remains one of the most powerful ideas. For humanity, He now holds significance like the sun or breath itself. Even for those who do not believe in God, human-made thoughts and constructs often feel hollow.

In this sense, humanity has placed immense responsibility upon God. Perhaps now it is time for humans to take some responsibility themselves—and allow new ideas about God to emerge.

Author – Bhavya Srivastava, Founder, Religion World (bhavya@religionworld.in)