Two Questions that Never Leave Us- timeless questions that humans have asked for as long as we’ve had the ability to think:
- Does God exist ?
- Who am I ?
These questions surface in my mind from time to time. I won’t claim to have the ultimate answers, but I have reached a place of personal clarity—answers that feel reasonably satisfying to me.
The understanding I’ve arrived at isn’t purely from my own thinking. It has taken shape through reading, listening to thinkers and teachers, and quietly reflecting. It’s been a slow, layered process.
Let’s Start With: Does God Exist?
How did the very concept of “God” come into existence?
When I look at the Vedas, the Upanishads, and the Vedanta, I see that while God appears in some form or another, there is no single, definitive explanation of what God actually is. Take the Rigveda, often considered the oldest of the four Vedas—it begins by praising the deities Indra, Varuna, Agni, Soma, and others. In those times, they represented forces of nature—perhaps things people didn’t fully understand, but revered nonetheless. Again, they were not called as ‘Gods’. Human beings were probably awed by nature’s power—fire, storms, the sun—and in that awe, the seeds of the divine were planted. Later, somewhere in the middle of the Rigveda, there is a reference to ‘That One’, and the deities are manifestations of ‘that One’. Still no mention of a God (in my understanding at least).
How Yajurveda, Sama Veda and Atharva Veda came into existence is an interesting story. I do not delve on that now. However, in Yajurveda, there are set of hymns called ‘Purusha Suktam’ and ‘Rudra Strotram’ which was something I got to listen in my house or relatives’ house often as a child. These hymns mention a supreme ‘thing’ from which everything originated. Or identify ‘Shiva’ as all powerful. The Rudra Stotram has two parts. The first part of the hymns talk about Rudra (aggressive) part and the next part of the hymns try to please his benevolent side. Interestingly, if you have read my first blog (being good), you will see that even ‘He’ has a dual-nature character.
My Evolving Understanding
My thinking has been shaped by various authors. One major influence has been Richard Dawkins. Dawkins, through books like The Selfish Gene and The Blind Watchmaker, lays out a compelling, scientific explanation of how evolution alone can lead to the complex, breathtaking life systems we see today.
In Dawkins’ worldview, there’s no need for a supernatural being to explain life. Evolution, in all its trial and error, with natural selection and survival of the fittest, is enough. He goes further in The God Delusion, taking a strong and sometimes aggressive stance against religion itself. While I respect his arguments, I don’t subscribe entirely to his combative tone. On the other hand, Paul Davies, in his book The Mind of God, takes a more nuanced view. While still rooted in science, he admits that he can’t fully explain everything with evolution alone. He suggests there might be something beyond, even if he stops short of calling it “God.” He asks: How is it that we are here? Can a random collection of purposeless forces really lead to something as remarkable as human consciousness?
Personally, I think evolution isn’t mindless or purposeless. It’s driven by conditions—scarcity, competition, the urge to survive and thrive. That, in itself, creates direction, complexity, and even beauty.
What Do the Indian Scriptures Say?
When I return to Indian thought—particularly Advaita Vedanta—the picture changes entirely. Here, the idea isn’t that God is some separate, all-powerful being sitting outside of us. Instead, it says you are not separate from God. You are God. Aham Brahmasmi — “I am Brahman.”
To put it another way: if I must use the word “God,” I’d say that God is within me. It’s that part of me which knows what is right. It quietly guides me. Of course, like all philosophies recognise, there are two forces within us—good and bad, divine and demonic, devas and asuras. When I listen to the better voice—when I choose the right path—I believe I’m listening to the “God” within.
The more I align with that voice, the more I become my higher self. That, to me, is what “realising God” means. I don’t feel a need to picture a God out there. When someone insists, “But you can’t ignore God!”, I’m happy to respond: “Sure, I’m not ignoring God. I believe God is within me.” That often ends the debate.
Interestingly, many religious traditions—whether or not they go as far as Advaita—acknowledge some spark of divinity within us. The difference is that Advaita says you are not a part of God—you are not different from God. Other theologies may say you are a small piece in God’s grand design, but not God yourself.
If God Exists… Why So Much Suffering?
A question that troubles many—including me—is: If there is a God, and if God is all-knowing and all-powerful, why is there so much suffering in the world?
Why do wars continue? Iran-Iraq. Russia-Ukraine. Gaza. Why are people bombed, displaced, or killed? If God can ensure peace and justice, why doesn’t God do that?
This argument often gets countered with: “God is punishing those who do wrong,” or “God will appear again to set things right,” as promised in the Bhagavad Gita. Or in Christianity, there’s the concept of original sin and atonement—a built-in need for divine intervention and forgiveness. Islam, from what little I understand, treats the word of God as absolute and final—unchangeable.
I won’t go deep into Christianity or Islam, because I’m not well-versed in them. But I’ll say this: Indian philosophies like Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism often emphasize a simple, personal truth: live a moral, ethical life. Follow your Dharma. Be a good person.
That resonates deeply with me.
Coming Home to Advaita
The more I read the Vedas, the Upanishads, and the Advaita philosophy, the more I feel drawn to their message. In this worldview, I don’t need to find God out there. I only need to know myself better. Because I am not separate from the divine.
That’s my current understanding. Not fixed, not final—but real enough to shape how I live, how I think, and how I relate to the world.
Before I close, on a lighter note…
If science does not answer the question ‘Does God Exist ?’, does maths and probability & statistics give us any clue ? In a slightly altered, and for me in a humorous, way of argument, I quote below what the famous scientist, mathematician and philosopher said in the 17th century. The idea comes from his work Pensées (Thoughts), and is known as Pascal’s Wager:
“If you believe in God and He exists, you gain everything; if you believe in God and He doesn’t exist, you lose nothing. If you do not believe in God and He exists, you lose everything.”
Do not rush. Pace your life. enjoy the journey