How We Can See God - By Stephen Knapp (Sri Nandanandana dasa)

First of all when it comes to trying to see God, if we expect to see God
with our material senses, we need to first understand the limitations of
the senses we have. We often need glasses merely to see clearly, and
we also need enough light to do so. If it is too dark, or if there is no
light with which to see, we can hardly make out what is right in front of
us. So it is fair enough to say that we will never see that which is
spiritual with these dull material senses.
However, even when it comes to researching the smallest elements
like the atoms, and then defining parts of them like neutrons, protons,
etc., do the scientists actually see every molecule that they discuss,
even with super powerful microscopes? Sometimes not. In some cases,
they only see the evidence that such particles exist, but do not directly
see the particle itself. Similarly, even if we cannot see God directly with
our material senses, we can still look around and see the evidence for
Gods existence. But to do that, we also need to have the right
knowledge.
For example, even a person with a little common sense can understand
that there must be a source of everything, a point of origin, or what
some call an Absolute Truth, the underlying basis or foundation for
everything. And that something can be called God. That is why in some
circles people ask, What is not God? And in that respect, we can
perceive that everything is a part of God, or everything is but a display
of Gods energy, including ourselves. Then we begin to see or feel the
presence of God all around us.
However, in the Vedic sources of knowledge, such as the Bhagavadgita, we find wherein Lord Krishna Himself begins to instruct Arjuna
how to recognize Him in so many things. By meditating on and
understanding this knowledge, we can begin to more closely recognize
the evidence for God all around us, especially in all great and powerful
things.
In Bhagavad-gita (7.4-11) Lord Krishna explains, Earth, water, fire,
air, ether, mind, intelligence, and false egoaltogether these eight
comprise My separated material energies. Besides this inferior nature,
O mighty-armed Arjuna, there is a superior energy of Mine, which are
all living entities who are struggling with material nature and are
sustaining the universe. Of all that is material and all that is spiritual in
this world, know for certain that I am both its origin and dissolution. O
conqueror of wealth [Arjuna], there is no Truth superior to Me.
Everything rests upon Me as pearls are strung on a thread.

O son of Kunti [Arjuna], I am the taste in fresh water, the light of the
sun and the moon, the syllable Om in the Vedic mantras; I am the
sound in ether and ability in man. I am the original fragrance of the
earth, and I am the heat in fire. I am the life of all that lives, and I am
the penances [which brings one closer to God] of all ascetics. O son of
Pritha, know that I am the original seed of all existences, the
intelligence of the intelligent, and the prowess of all powerful men. I
am the strength of the strong, devoid of passion and desire.
Recognizing God in nature is also outlined in such Vedic texts as the
Atharva Veda. Therein it is explained: "God is present in all the forces
of nature. He identifies Himself with these faultless, blameless forces.
Their home is in God, vast like the ocean, so do the Vedic scholars say
unto us. They [forces of nature] come quickly at the time of creation
and vanish at the time of dissolution of the universe." (Atharva Veda
2.3.3)
"God is the Lord of all worlds. God gave the sun its intense heat. God,
through His manifold forces, has set in motion the Earth, Moon, and
planets in space." (Atharva Veda 8.2.40)
The existence of God is also perceived by beholding all that
God created. Herein it is described in the Arthava Veda (Kanda 8, Hymn
7, Paryaya 4, verses 29-39): "Just as the sun has brought forth the day,
the day derives its origin from him [the sun], so the existence of God is
perceived by beholding the universe, which in reality is created by
Him. Just as the Sun appears to be born from the night, as it appears
after its expiry, and night is born of the Sun as it sets in the evening, so
the existence of God is perceived by beholding the Great Night of
Dissolution, which in reality is created by Him. The Sun comes into
existence after the atmosphere [the elements], as if he is produced
from it, and the existence of atmosphere is realized by beholding the
Sun. So the existence of God is also perceived by beholding the
atmosphere which in reality is created by Him. [In the same way] the
existence of God is perceived by beholding air, which in reality is
created by Him. The existence of God is perceived by beholding the
heaven, which in reality is created by Him. The existence of God is
perceived by beholding the regions, which in reality are created by
Him. The existence of God is perceived by beholding the Earth, which
in reality is created by Him. The existence of God is created by
beholding fire, which in reality is created by Him. The existence of God
is perceived by beholding the waters, which in reality are created by
Him. The existence of God is perceived by studying the holy Vedic
verses, which in reality are revealed by Him."
Another aspect of the description in Bhagavad-gita is to recognize how

God Himself descends into this material realm to reveal Himself

through His divine instructions, pastimes, personality, and to show us
His form. And even if He is not in front of us personally, we can learn
about Him and see Him through the descriptions of the Vedic shastra.
Thus, even though we may not be able to see Him with our material
senses, He can indeed reveal Himself and make Himself visible to us
through such means. However, we also need to become qualified to do
that, which we will discuss shortly.
In another aspect of seeing God is that found in the
descriptions that many of you have no doubt heard about in neardeath-experiences. Often it is described that in such an experience
someone may be going down a tunnel, sometimes greeted by past
relatives, until they finally approach a fantastic light, a being of
unconditional love and acceptance. They often do not exactly see the
form of this being, since it is engulfed in light, but they accept the
being to be the object of their faith or religion, such as Jesus, or
Buddha, or Krishna, or someone similar.
When our own level of consciousness is lower than the higher
beings that we may encounter, as in a near-death-experience, we may
often see them and the frequency in which they exist as merely white
light. In other words, we have not elevated our own consciousness to
the frequency of that level of existence to be able to perceive and
discern all the details therein. Thus, we perceive such entities as either
beings of light, or engulfed in effulgence.
A similar experience is described in the Shri Ishopanishad in
mantras 15 and 16, where it says: O my Lord, sustainer of all that
lives, Your real face is covered by Your dazzling effulgence. Please
remove that covering and exhibit Yourself to Your pure devotee. O my
Lord, O primeval philosopher, maintainer of the universe, O regulating
principle, destination of the pure devotees, well-wisher of the
progenitors of mankindplease remove the effulgence of Your
transcendental rays so that I can see Your form of bliss. You are the
eternal Supreme Personality of Godhead, like unto the sun, as am I.
In this way, we have to raise ourselves to the same refined
frequency or energy level as God in our endeavor to perceive Him
directly, beyond the dazzling effulgence. Also, the last statement in the
above paragraph means that as the sunshine is basically of the same
quality in essence as the sun, and an expansion of it, so we are also
the same spiritual quality as God. We are not as powerful as God, but
we are of the same essential quality. Thus, seeing God is not
unexpected, but we simply have to regain that same spiritual quality in
our consciousness to acquire the ability to perceive God directly. And

all that really means is to reduce the power of the material energys
influence on ourselves through our spiritual practice.
One more example I would like to use is the radio and television
waves that carry the signals of so many stations, whether it be news,
music, entertainment, or other forms of communication that are all
around us all the time. However, if I do not know about them, or do not
think they exist, then how can you convince me that they are real?
After all, you cannot see them, taste them, smell them, or feel them.
So how can you convince someone that they are real?
The answer is that you have to have a good receiver. Then
anyone will see that such waves are all around us, but they mean
nothing unless you have a good receiver. Then you realize that
throughout the frequency range in which these waves travel, there are
so many such waves, and that they are extremely useful, with
numerous things that can be done with them. You can even broadcast
your own radio waves simply by your cell phone, or use your GPS
system, etc. Then they become such a common part of our everyday
lives that we no longer even think about them. So if someone says that
radio and television waves are not real, or that he does not believe in
them, what would you think of him? Obviously, this guy has no
knowledge, has no experience, he is not in touch with reality, which
means he must have been living under a rock, in a closet, or way out in
the wilderness all of his life. You would think he is too weird.
Similarly, if someone has no knowledge of God, and says he
does not believe in God, what would you think? Pretty much the same
thing, that he is merely out of touch with the proper knowledge that
would help make someone understand how to recognize God.
Therefore, another way to perceive God is through the
instructions and knowledge as given by a spiritual master, or a person
who is a good receiver of the transcendental vibration that exists all
around us. Thus, he can receive or perceive it, and then also
broadcasts the spiritual knowledge through his instructions that will
allow us to understand it, at least to those who will listen. This is how
we learn, through such personal instructions or through books that are
written by such pure receptors of the spiritual vibrations.
It is also through this means that we can train ourselves to be
such receivers of spiritual vibrations or frequencies if we want to. We
have to learn it from others to be able to do it ourselves. It is through
the spiritual practices, as provided by those spiritual teachers who are
already successful, and through the information and instructions given
in the Vedic texts, that will also enable us to elevate our

consciousness, and the vibrational frequency in which we operate.

Then we can also see that which exists in those higher dimensions or
spiritual realms.
Therefore, unlike those religions that depend mostly on faith, the
Vedic or Dharmic system is that a person follows the path to
spiritualize their consciousness to the point where the spiritual
dimension becomes perceptible, and then one can begin to enter into
that dimension and function on that level. The point is that our
consciousness is where we live. We may keep our body in a house, or
in particular clothes, and so on, but it is our consciousness that is the
vibrational frequency in which we live and send out to others. And as
we raise that frequency, we will be able to see that which exists on
those higher frequencies as well. In other words, the more spiritual you
become, the more you can perceive that which is spiritual. As you
become more spiritual, meaning the more you spiritualize your
consciousness, then the more qualified you become to recognize,
approach, or even see God in so many ways. And once you begin to
have that experience, then there is no further argument about what is
or what is not God.
So, would you like to become such a perceiver of the spiritual
realm? If you do, then the way we work to uplift and spiritualize our
consciousness includes the following: Chanting or singing devotional
songs, or the names of God, using mantras for japa meditation,
associating with like-minded people, discussing this knowledge and
information, especially by going to the temple, eating blessed
vegetarian food or Krishna prasada, etc.
We have already explained many of these processes in greater
detail as related in my other articles, free Ebooks and paperback
books. Some of the articles on my website that can be helpful include:
1. Finding Our Real Spiritual Identity
2. Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, What's so Special About Chanting Hare
Krishna?
3. Seeing the Divinity in Everyone
4. Spiritual Enlightenment: What Is It
5. The Secret of Bhakti-yoga