Do the Gods even care about us or love us?

[StarryNightshade]

Possibly a bit of a downer and not the happiest of questions, but it's been on my find lately.

Do the Gods, when you get down to it, even care about us or "love" us?

In western religions, we are taught that God loves us and wants what's best for us. In Hinduism, God(s) more or less give us the tools we need to escape samsara and it's due to our love and devotion to them that we can achieve moksha. Granted, they may give us the grace needed, but there is still the effort on our part.

So, at least when compared to western theology, do the Gods in Hinduism really love us? At least how we - as humans - understand love?

 

[Terese]

I don't think it's very different from Western theology. Narayana absolutely loves us and wants what's best for us. More so for Lakshmi! She doesn't even believe we have faults!

 

[SomeRandom]

I sympathize with your pessimism. I too have it, particularly when inebriated and prone to ill advised drunk emo philosophizing. All the evil in the world, all the suffering each of us goes through, can this really be the result of love?
But then the endorphins kick in and well, I think maybe it is after all.

 

[Vinayaka]

Do the Gods, when you get down to it, even care about us or "love" us?

I've been taught that 'God Siva is Love' and I believe it.

 

[George-ananda]

Do the Gods even care about us or love us?

Yes, I think so. The universe is on our side.

For me personally, I don't get too into these invisible gods. I prefer human avatars and holy men that can communicate in human language.

 

[shunyadragon]

Possibly a bit of a downer and not the happiest of questions, but it's been on my find lately.

Do the Gods, when you get down to it, even care about us or "love" us?

In western religions, we are taught that God loves us and wants what's best for us. In Hinduism, God(s) more or less give us the tools we need to escape samsara and it's due to our love and devotion to them that we can achieve moksha. Granted, they may give us the grace needed, but there is still the effort on our part.

So, at least when compared to western theology, do the Gods in Hinduism really love us? At least how we - as humans - understand love?

In the God of Judaism, Christianity and Islam the concept of care God has for humanity is rather selective and arbitrary, and rather negative toward the rest of humanity outside their own belief system.

God is not a chess player
with the white pieces
God is the sea
and we are the fishes.

 

[Serpent Child]

Yes the Gods do care about us and many think they still protect us.

 

[shunyadragon]

Yes the Gods do care about us and many think they still protect us.

Protect us from what?

 

[Vinayaka]

So I see we have a bunch of converts to Hinduism. Good to know.

 

[shunyadragon]

So I see we have a bunch of converts to Hinduism. Good to know.

For me Hinduism is only part of whole picture of the progressive revelation of all of humanity, and represents the cultural Vedic paradigm of God and the relationship with humanity and Creation.

God is not a Hindu God, Hebrew God, Christina God, Islamic God, nor the cultural image of God from any one human cultural perspective. God is God, and not a fallible human construct of the 'Source' some call God(s).

 

[Vinayaka]

For me Hinduism is only part of whole picture of the progressive revelation of all of humanity, and represents the cultural Vedic paradigm of God and the relationship with humanity and Creation.

God is not a Hindu God, Hebrew God, Christina God, Islamic God, nor the cultural image of God from any one human cultural perspective. God is God, and not a fallible human construct of the 'Source' some call God(s).

I assumed you were a recent Hindu convert because this is the Hindu DIR, and I assumed you have read the rules about DIRs. They're for declared adherents of those faiths. Seems like a fair assumption, unless of course you've chosen to ignore the forum rules.

It had nothing to do about God. I also believe God transcends religions, but concepts of God do vary drastically by faith.

 

[shunyadragon]

I assumed you were a recent Hindu convert because this is the Hindu DIR, and I assumed you have read the rules about DIRs. They're for declared adherents of those faiths. Seems like a fair assumption, unless of course you've chosen to ignore the forum rules.

It had nothing to do about God. I also believe God transcends religions, but concepts of God do vary drastically by faith.

Sorry I miscued on this thread and did not realize it was Hindu DIR.

 

[Vinayaka]

Sorry I miscued on this thread and did not realize it was Hindu DIR.

Sorry I miscued on this thread and did not realize it was Hindu DIR.

Then you must have erred in how you signed up for DIRs under your personal details.

 

[Chakra]

Possibly a bit of a downer and not the happiest of questions, but it's been on my find lately.

Do the Gods, when you get down to it, even care about us or "love" us?

In western religions, we are taught that God loves us and wants what's best for us. In Hinduism, God(s) more or less give us the tools we need to escape samsara and it's due to our love and devotion to them that we can achieve moksha. Granted, they may give us the grace needed, but there is still the effort on our part.

So, at least when compared to western theology, do the Gods in Hinduism really love us? At least how we - as humans - understand love?

In Vaishnavism, Vishnu alone is responsible for moksha. Shastras say that every jiva in samsara must have gone through various body forms (plant, animal, manushya, devata, asura, etc) before we ended up in our current form. What sadhana could a plant or animal have performed to be elevated from its body form to a human? It is Vishnu who grants the jivas punya karma so they can continue their sadhana. It is Vishnu who stays with the jiva throughout its journey in samsara to guide it. It is Vishnu who traps the jiva in an unmanifest form to ensure its liberation.

 

[Fireside_Hindu]

I think is we assume that God lives within us all - that we are, at the most basic level, Divinity itself, then I think the answer is has to be "Yes". However, it's a little weird because it's a non-dualistic answer to a dualistic question. The question assumes that God lives outside of us and separate from us to do the loving of us. I think that the very nature of divinity is love, and that the layers of the ego are what prevent us from feeling loved sometimes.

 

[Nyingjé Tso]

Vanakkam,

Yes, it is love you can feel when entering a powerful temple. It feels like being covered in a warm blanket.

It is also love to remove obstacles in our way so we can progress.

But it is also love to bring the bad results of our karma quick in our life so we can solve them rather than pile them all for later in this or our many lives.

It all depends on who and how you worship but all of those is love.

Let us not forget that the bad karma is created by us,not by God, and that we have to be mindful of our actions.

Aum Namah Shivaya

 

[Aupmanyav]

I sympathize with your pessimism. ..

Well, I don't. An equally important question is do we care about God (and their creation)? Literally or give them just lip service. If we do, if we follow our 'dharma', then they certainly care about us. The rest is just a play, 'maya'. They will give us the wisdom to understand 'samsara'.

 

[SomeRandom]

Well, I don't. An equally important question is do we care about God (and their creation)? Literally or give them just lip service. If we do, if we follow our 'dharma', then they certainly care about us. The rest is just a play, 'maya'. They will give us the wisdom to understand 'samsara'.

So they only care about us if we are following Dharma? Sounds like a conditional love to me.

 

[TravisJC]

So they only care about us if we are following Dharma? Sounds like a conditional love to me.

It may seem conditional and I truly believe that in order for Lord Shiva to aid me in life I must wholeheartedly love and believe in him. However, I also think of it as a mother loving her child regardless of who the child is or what they have done. Lord Shiva loves all of what exists but to truly understands His love and grace you have to believe it is there.

 

[Aupmanyav]

So they only care about us if we are following Dharma?

No, in case the person does not follow dharma, then the person is sent again to learn. Gods give 8.4 million chances (Lukh Chaurasi). Is that not enough?