Power and Godhood

The concept of gods gaining their power from worship is a very modern one. Back in the day gods were, and had power, irrespective of worship.

In fact, from a pagan standpoint you don't even really worship gods. You might revere and honour them, but it was largely a transactional relationship. We give you these offerings, and in return you help us win this battle, or give us a good harvest.

There are in fact instances where after disasters or bad harvests offerings were actually withheld because it was felt that the god didn't hold up their end of the bargain.

There are two ways to gain godhood - or any power, really.

• Beseech others more powerful

This is worship, this is sacrifice or summoning or getting a job or sucking some BigWig's dick. You follow the rules and please the person - they give you stuff. You'll mostly find those with a demonic or tamo-guna conditioning doing this.

You go high enough, you can attain to the levels of godhood.

• Attain power through austerity

The more you can renounce and become independent of material control, the more you can control the material.

As the body is strengthened through moving tougher and tougher masses, and as the mind is strengthened through solving tougher and tougher problems, so the mystic ability is strengthened through enduring tougher and tougher austerities.

The difference between a god and a parasite is that a god has symbiotic relationship with its follower rather than a parasitic one.

Worship

Start with Ganesha, then move to either Brahma or Siva.

Lord Siva is easier to please, and will be less discriminatory with what he grants, but he won't have any care or give any warning if what you ask for will be detrimental. It is also more likely that simply by his presence you give up desires such as attaining godhood.

Lord Brahma is much harder to worship; hardly anyone does it any more (though that's also part of a curse he's working through), but he can give the greatest material boons.

Do It Yourself

Karma Khanda is the basic, "proper" way. Lead a good life. Follow the rules. Be charitable and compassionate. You'll gradually ascend through the ranks of material bodies until you are Lord Brahma himself.

The other route is through mystic siddhis developed via tapasya/austerity. Make vows to give things up. Start small; don't make vows you won't/can't keep.

When you get to the point of eating once a day, sleeping four hours a day, no distracting media/entertainment, and minimal possessions - seek out the Aghoris.

The karma-kāṇḍa portion stresses the execution of fruitive activities. But ultimately it is advised that one abandon both karma-kāṇḍa and jñāna-kāṇḍa (speculative knowledge) and accept only upāsanā-kāṇḍa, or bhakti-kāṇḍa. One cannot attain love of Godhead by executing karma-kāṇḍa or jñāna-kāṇḍa. But by dedicating one's karma, or fruitive activities, to the Supreme Lord, one may be relieved from the polluted mind, and becoming free from mental pollution helps elevate one to the spiritual platform.

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