Form or Formless

Question: Swami, God is attributeless. He is above satwic [pure], rajasic [active], and tamasic [dull] qualities. But we are bound by these three attributes. How can we realize God then?

Bhagavan: The Divine has two aspects. He can be experienced as the one with attributes and also as beyond them. You should know one thing chiefly. God is in the attributes. But the attributes are not in Him. Attributes or traits cannot function and operate without divinity in them. Gold is in the jewelry. But jewels are not in gold. Pots are made of clay, but not vice versa. Silverware, like a glass or a plate, is made of silver. But the glass and plate are not in silver.

Another example: You know an electric bulb illumines and a fan revolves. Radios, TVs work by electricity only. They are electrical gadgets. Electricity is the main cause of their functioning. But none of these gadgets are there in electricity. Likewise, God is present in the attributes. They are not present in God. So in a way we can say that He has attributes and at the same time He is attributeless, saguna and nirguna.

Every man has three qualities satwa, rajas, and tamas. But the one that dominates the other two decides his thinking, feeling, and action. Unless we transcend these three qualities, we cannot experience divinity in the true sense. Here is an example: If you want to see your own chest, what should you do? You should first of all remove your coat, then your shirt, and, finally, even your banian [undershirt] to look at your chest, isn’t it so? So also, to see the chest of divinity, you should first remove the coat of tamasic quality, the shirt of rajasic quality, and the banian of satwic quality.

Question: Swami, We pray to you to tell us about the two aspects of God, with form and without it.

Bhagavan: It is here that many are confused. Without a form, from where do you get the formless? How is it possible for you to visualize the formless? Since you have a form, you can only think of God with a form. For example, if a fish is to think of God, it can visualize God only in the form of a bigger fish. So also, if at all a buffalo thinks of God, it can think of God only as a bigger buffalo. In the same way, man can think of God only as existing in human form, the form of an ideal man.

Even the formless aspect of God can be meditated upon based on the aspect of God with form. You cannot derive the formless without a form. Here is a small example: You are all here, seated in this hall in front of Swami today in Kodaikanal. You are listening to Swami’s words. This is an experience with a form. Later you go home, and after a few days you begin to reflect on what had happened here. You recall the entire scenario. In fact, has Swami come to your place physically? Would you find this room at your place? Have all of you gone there? No. But this direct experience is pictured mentally, which gives you the indirect experience of being here. What you see here is the sakara [form] and what you experience there is the nirakara [formless]. So the formless is based on the aspect with form. One cannot exist without the other.

Another example: Here is milk. You want to drink it. How do you drink? Don’t you need a cup or a glass? Similarly, to worship God (milk), you need a form (cup).

Question: Swami, of these two ways of worship, the aspect with form and the other, the formless, which is greater?

Bhagavan: In My opinion, both are equal. One is not in any way greater than the other. Now you are in Coimbatore. Here the land is plain, without any ups and downs. The level of the land is the same throughout. Nobody leveled it. Nobody prepared the ground like this. The form of Coimbatore is like this. Its design is like this. But Kodaikanal is located on the hills. Nobody assembled hills there. Its form is of that sort. Coimbatore and Kodaikanal are different from one other. Each one is full, but in its own way.

So also, the two methods of worship—one with form and the other formless—are equally beneficial to the seekers of truth and aspirants of spiritual enlightenment.

Source: Satyopanishad, Vol. I, by Sri Anil Kumar Kamaraju