The followers of Semitic religions believe
that God and His creation man are two separate entities. This
is called dualism because it accepts the separate existence
of God and man as the truth. The believers of these religions
cannot accept the concept that man can become God. They believe
that it is impossible for man to meet God face to face or
actually visualize Him in any way. In contrast, Vedic (Hindu)
religion believes that God and man are not two separate entities.
According to Hindu philosophy, man attains Godhood when his
evolution is complete. Man can attain this complete evolution
only when he rises above his physical and mental consciousness
and progresses through the last three stages of spiritual
consciousness with the blessings of a spiritual master like
Guru Siyag. This is non-dualism as it does not differentiate
between God and man. Hindu philosophy not only explains the
concept of 'So-aham'
(My true
being is God) but goes on to lay down the
functional method for man to attain this highest stage of
evolution.
Says Lord Krishna in The Gita: "Isvarah
Sarvabhutanam hrddese rjuna tisthati bhramayan sarvabhutani
yantrarudhani mayaya " (The Lord
abides in the hearts of all beings, O Arjuna, causing them
to turn round by His power as if they were mounted on a
machine) (B.G. 18:61)
However, in contrast to the current Christian belief in
dualism, the Bible echoes the Hindu belief in non-dualism
when it says “And
what agreement hath the temple of god with idols? For ye
are temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell
in them, and walk in them, and I will be their God, and
they shall be my people.” (2
Corinthians 6:16)