God in Vedanta - Is Ishvara Benevolent?

Who or what is God in Vedanta? Ishvara represents the impersonal order of universal laws, without divine will or intention. But could it be helpful to ascribe a benevolent design to our lives?

Some Vedanta teachers are very sensitive to students' formulations, who attribute an intention or a will to Ishvara. Terms such as “the will of God” or ‘the benevolent order’ can be misleading for beginners in Vedanta as they tend to personify Ishvara and attribute a conscious intention to him.

According to these teachers, Ishvara is rather the impersonal order that manifests itself in laws, principles and causal relationships.

In this context, “God in Vedanta” is often discussed, emphasizing that it is not a personal God. Phenomena such as gravity and thermodynamics simply work without any positive or negative intention being ascribed to them. The statement that Ishvara is benevolent remains at best an article of faith; for in relation to impersonal laws, any attribution of will is objectively inappropriate. Only persons can have a will - laws, on the other hand, cannot.

God in Vedanta: Belief in a benevolent order

Some other Vedanta teachers expand this perspective with a pragmatic approach.

They teach that there are no absolute right or wrong beliefs but only helpful and less helpful ones. The belief in a “benevolent order” can indeed be considered useful. But what does this belief bring us? Many people tend to think pessimistically. They anticipate catastrophic scenarios, prepare for the “worst-case scenario” and project lower motives and hidden agendas onto others. A healthy caution in life is beneficial, but ideas of the “baseness and selfishness of the world” are certainly not conducive to a relaxed and hopeful existence.

It is therefore important to realize that life is often more benevolent than we assume. The purpose of creation lies in evolution: the valuable learning experiences, opportunities for growth and supportive encounters will reveal themselves at the right time. We can trust in this. Creation is not evil or designed to make life difficult for us. In this insight Vedanta differs fundamentally from the Christian Gnostic doctrine, which assumes an evil creator god (demiurge) who seduces people.

In order to recognize, use and learn from our learning experiences, we need the use of our free will to seize the opportunities for growth that present themselves. The belief in a “benevolent order” also proves itself in the practical context of bhakti and upasana. When I perform puja, praying, reciting mantras or engaging in silent prayer, I turn to Ishvara in a very personal way.

In these moments, I share my innermost emotions with him - I complain, ask and hope for an answer.

As a Vedantin, I am aware that Ishvara is not a person, has no mind and has no will. Nevertheless, I personify Ishvara in these practices and recognize that I am ultimately playing with my own mind. Possibly a devata may get involved and bring me the fruits of my karma. These actions not only bring the grace of Ishvara, but also have a significant therapeutic benefit. For example, scientific studies show that Christians who turn to Jesus in this way are less likely to suffer from depression.

God in Vedanta - Between challenges and benevolent design

Disasters, destruction, war, crime and accidents are unavoidable realities of our lives. Nevertheless, the probability of their occurrence is often overestimated. This also explains the prosperity of insurance companies in our society; they know full well that ultimately far fewer things go wrong than many people expect.

It is important to realize that we can only grow, heal and learn in relationship with each other. No baby needs to learn prosocial behavior, and no mother needs to learn how to lovingly nurture a child - such skills are innate in human beings. This is dharma. This spirit of cooperation extends beyond individual species. I once saw a video on social media of a dog scooping water to a fish lying on dry land. So is it so wrong to assume that there is a “benevolent design”?

Of course, the darker sides of life are just as real. Ultimately, however, it can be said with certainty that order can only be considered benevolent if we work in harmony with the laws. Our success and personal development lie in this interaction. Everything else are beliefs that we can accept, but do not necessarily have to.