WHY ARE THERE SO MANY GODS IN VEDANTA?

Swami Chinmayananda said it is because there are many paths to God.  For instance, an aspirant in Vedanta will select what is called a “Chosen Ideal” (Ishta, in Sanscrit).  This is the aspect of the Godhead that resonates most for him, and may be, for example, Krishna, Vishnu, Shiva, Shakti, Rama, Kali, Buddha, Jesus as an avatar, or even simply the Atman.  

Through meditation on his Chosen Ideal, the aspirant gradually gains concentration of mind, love of God, and ultimately illumination.  The phenomenon of the Chosen Ideal reflects the experience of Ramakrishna who sampled many faiths, including Christianity, Islam, Jainism, and Buddhism, before settling on Advaita Vedanta.

Related to this is the mantra, or mantram, consisting of a word, or a sound, which corresponds to the aspirant’s Chosen Ideal.  When an aspirant is initiated into the spiritual life, he is given a mantra. 

The mantra, regarded as one with God, is to be kept sacred and secret.  The aspirant is, for the rest of his life, to meditate on the aspect of God which the mantra symbolizes.  Repetition of the mantra, called japa, performed regularly and reverently, results in purification of the mind, and ultimately in God-realization.

(This is the 500^th posting on this blog.)