Belief in a Higher Power

The belief in a higher power existed long before we formalized religions or named God. Even in our earlier days as hunter-gatherers, we observed nature and recognized the forces beyond our control. Our fears and anxieties, as well as our sense of wonder, led us to worship. We began connecting the wonders of the natural world, like animals, rocks, and stars, to a higher power.

Evolution Of Belief

Over time, as human societies became more complex and organized, many of the world’s major structured religions, including Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, have emerged. Each of these higher-power religions has its own unique teachings, practices, and convictions. However, the common thread among religions is the belief that there is a higher power that governs the universe and provides a moral and spiritual compass for humanity.

Why Do Humans Believe in a Higher Power?

If we go beyond the genesis of organized religion, humans used to live under vast skies and among and battle unpredictable forces of nature, like thunderstorms, eclipses, birth, death, seasons, and more. Fear might not have been the inspiration behind first prayers, but wonder kept on sustaining them. That is why humans believe in a higher power even today. It is not merely because they fear death but because they seek connection to the deeper order.

In almost every civilization, this search makes itself known in myths, rituals, and sacred symbols. Stories like the Creation story or narratives around the great flood reveals humanity’s timeless attempt to understand existence itself.

That longing to exist, the meaning of life, has never disappeared.

Unravelling the Mystery Of Universal Order

What is it that makes the planets and stars move with such mind-boggling precision? Or what makes the cells in our body regenerate seamlessly? What is it that remains when our thoughts end, or when the breath leaves the body? Regardless of one’s religion or spiritual inclination or even the absence thereof, no one can deny that there are forces beyond our comprehension that hold together the cosmos, which directly or indirectly affect each one of us.

The metaphor of the Charioteer symbolizes the eternal struggle between the restless mind and the higher self; the mind constantly seeks direction and wisdom regarding the question, 'Is there a higher power?'.

This is because somewhere deep within we realize that the human soul and life are not simply random words. Behind all this chaos, there might be order, and behind all the suffering, there might be transformation. That leads us to believe that behind existence, there may be something sacred that quietly wants to be unravelled.

Understanding The Faith In a Higher Power Across Different Religions

The true nature of that higher power or ultimate reality remains a matter of faith and personal belief. The world’s religions have adopted different approaches to the higher power.

• The Abrahamic religions of Judaism and Christianity surrender to the omnipotent and omnipresent Biblical God, which is known as Allah in Islam and in the Qur’an (Islam’s higher power).
• Buddhism has the Buddha Nature and believes in the ‘Bodhichitta’ or enlightened mind.
• Confucianism and Taoism have the destiny-determining force of Heaven, or ‘Tiān.’

Religious traditions across cultures use symbols and practices to express devotion through Religious wear, chanting Sacred words, or listening to Sacred music, human beings try to touch something eternal through these practices and experiences.

Even the metaphor of the Tree of life appears in countless traditions, a testimony to the fact that existence and religion are interconnected at their roots.

Hinduism and its faith in a higher power

Hindu philosophy speaks of 'Brahman,' the awareness that abides beyond birth and death and between two thoughts. The idea is that everything outside is a projection of what is within, and once you understand your internal world, you will relate far better to the external world. The higher power in this case is the consciousness that governs every aspect of the universe. You are a part of the higher power: Tat Tvam Asi - You are That' (infinite reality).

Achieving Purpose And Humility By Believing In A Higher Power

The belief in a higher power springs from the same impulse that has always existed in all of us, despite our dizzying diversity across time and geography. One might argue that the earlier the realization of a higher power happens, the more fortunate. For the delusion of control—one of humankind’s most enduring myths—will then evaporate and give way to humility.

Believing in a higher power can provide a sense of purpose, comfort, hope, and a more lucid and compassionate understanding of life around us.

How Belief In A Higher Power Is Expressed Across Faiths

If you are wondering what religion is, do you believe in a higher power. Here are some points of reference for you.

Christianity

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” — Psalm (19:1)

“For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.” — Colossians (1:16)

Islam

“He is Allah, the One and Only; Allah, the Eternal, Absolute; He begetteth not, nor is He begotten; And there is none like unto Him.” — Quran, Surah Al-Ikhlas (112:1-4)

Judaism

“Every entity regards itself as exalted over another entity. Darkness regards itself as exalted over the deep because it is above it. Air is exalted over water because it is above it. Fire is exalted over air because it is above it. The heavens are as exalted over fire as they are above it. But the Holy One, blessed be He, is truly exalted over them all.” - Sefer Ha-Aggadah, a collection of Jewish writings

Buddhism

Let us unravel what is the higher power in Buddhism.

“All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think, we become.” — The Buddha

“All other virtues, like the plantain tree, Produce their fruit, but then their force is spent. Alone the marvelous tree of bodhicitta Constantly bears fruit and grows unceasingly.” — The Way of the Bodhisattva, A Buddhist text

Hinduism

“Those who see all creatures in themselves and themselves in all creatures know no fear.” — Upanishads, a Hindu text

“As the different streams having their sources in different places all mingle their water in the sea, so, O Lord, the different paths which men take, through different tendencies, various though they appear, crooked or straight, all lead to Thee.” — Srimad Bhagavatam, (11.14.26), A Hindu text

Baha’i

“The world of existence may be likened to the expression of God’s Will. The reality of things is the will of God, and this reality is one, although its outpourings are many and varied.” — Abdu’l-Bahá, a central figure in the Bahá’í Faith

Confucianism

“Tzu-hsia said, ‘I have heard it said: life and death are a matter of Destiny; wealth and honor depend on Heaven.’” — The Analects, a Confucian text

Taoism

“I just compare myself with Heaven and Earth, and my life-breath I receive from yin and yang. I am just a little stone or a little tree set on a great hill, in comparison to Heaven and Earth. As I perceive my own inferiority, how could I ever be proud?” — The Book of Chuang Tzu, Daoist text

“Imagine a nebulous thing Here before Heaven and Earth Subtle and elusive Dwelling apart and unconstrained It could be the mother of us all Not knowing its name I call it the Tao Forced to describe it I describe it as great Great means ever-flowing Ever-flowing means far-reaching Far-reaching means returning.” — Tao Te Ching, Daoist text

Modern Psychology and Philosophy

“[Religion refers to] The feelings, acts, and experiences of individual men in their solitude, so far as they apprehend themselves to stand in relation to whatever they may consider the divine.” — William James, philosopher and psychologist