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VEDANTA world; for “God” is only the most subtle, most magnificent, most flattering false impression of all, in this general spectacle of erroneous self-deceptions. Like the other forms of this floating, transient reality, “God” exists only in association with the power (sakti, māyā) of self-misrepresentation. Hence “God” is not real. Furthermore, He is associated with his own self-misrepresentation only apparently--i.e., for us. In short, since he is Brahmanthe sole existing essence-he cannot be really lost in that igno rance which, in its own turn, is neither "unreal" nor "real."
It is, then, merely to the uncnlightened mind that God appears to be real, endowed with such attributes as omniscience, omnipotence, and universal rule, and disposed to the attitudes of be. nignity and wrath. The pious preoccupations centering around God, the rites of the various religious communities, and the cogitations of their theologians belong to and support an atmospherc of the most subtle and respectable kind of self-deccit. They have, of course, their priceless value as preliminary ineans. They supply a kind of ladder by which the utterly selfish individual may climb from the dim dungeon of his own ego. But when he attains the final rung, and is now at last capable of transcending the convenient truth of a personal monotheism, the ladder must be left behind.
The Highest Being, as“God," is phenomenal-a majestic, lordly face painted on the sublime blank of Brahman, truc being, which is devoid of physiognomy as well as of all other attributes and definitions. Brahman is not actually, but only seemingly, involved in ignorance-and then only in the least dark, least active, most serene state of ignorance, which is brilliant clarity (sattva). "God" cannot be said to be taken in by his own illusory attitude of paramount Super-Egoity, great with omniscience, omnipotence, and lordly rule. When the Lord seems to be enacting his cosmic role, he is not implicated in the net of the illusion he creates; the pantomime of the divine part does not fool the actor. Therefore, if “God” is to be conceived of as unfolding, maintaining,
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