What’s in a name?

I’m sorry Shakespeare, but there is a lot of meaning behind a name.

Why else would we invest a lot of time and thought into naming a child. 

The qualities of the soul wearing the name are not recognised. Perhaps this is why, many of us, like Shakespeare, feel the name is not important because it does not capture the essence of who we are.

Maybe it is the art of naming that has been lost and therefore its significance for the person wearing the name is also lost.

My name should, at the very least, project “that dear perfection” I owe to myself by invoking and becoming a living image of that title.

If, in an ideal world, all names reflected the perfection of the one wearing it, then the greatest name of all would be God’s name. There is no one greater than God.

So, what is God’s name? And does His name reflect Him accurately?

God is known by many of His attributes. For example, the Old Testament contains around 16 attributes of God and the Qu’ran contains around 99, all of which are consistent with the attributes of God as described by the Brahma Kumaris.

In the most ancient scripture, the Bhagavad Gita, God is described in His human form as Lord Krishna. Ah, there’s the rub, for in this one mistake of ignorance, all truth has been lost in the dreams of illusion. Yes, a meeting of God and human beings occurs, but this does not mean He also has a human form.

God is not born of flesh. If He were of flesh, then what would be the difference between us and God? It is no wonder why there are now so many different ideologies about God. The fog is endless. But the truth is that God is separate and constantly remains above the fog, beyond birth and death.

Can that which is beyond birth and death have a name? Yes. Everything, and every being, has a name.

In the Bible, God’s personal name is apparently written as YHWH, which some pronounce as Yahweh, but its true pronunciation has been lost. In the Qu’ran, His personal name is said to be Allah. Both names are considered to be sacred. Perhaps there are other ‘personal names’ for God out there that I have not mentioned. But thought to who gave God these names, must give us pause.

Naturally, parents name their children, not the other way around. If God is beyond birth and death, then humans cannot claim to be God’s parent. And if God is the Highest on High, then He has no parent and is free to name Himself.

If I were to choose my own name, I would choose something that is meaningful which reflects my form, nature and speciality. All three encompassing my unique state of perfection.

God’s form is that of light, the source of which must be a point. His nature is one of creating new life, which makes Him a seed. His speciality is to bestow goodness, which makes Him a benefactor.  

What one name would describe all three – Point, Seed, Benefactor?

Only God Himself could tell us His name.  That is, after He enters a world of flesh (so that He can speak) without being born to it.  There is only one place on earth where such an occasion is still celebrated today.

Happy Maha Shivratri (also known as Shiv Jayanti).