Even Atheists Believe in God

The Universal Quest for Bliss

Sage Valmiki makes a startling assertion in the Ramayana:

लोके न हि स विद्येत यो न राममनुव्रतः ॥
lōkē na hi sa vidyēta yō na rāmamanuvrataḥ ||
“There does not exists a single soul, who does not love God".

At first glance, this claim seems totally outlandish. In our everyday dealings, we find people who doubt His existence, and many who label themselves as non-believers, communists, or atheists. We usually consider only a handful of saints—like Tulsidas, Surdas, Meera Bai, or Kabir—to be true lovers of God.

Yet, Saint Tulsidas supports Valmiki’s view in even more emphatic words:

अस को जीव जन्तु जग माहीं जेहि रघुनाथ प्राण प्रिय नाहिं । asa kō jīva jantu jaga māhīṁ jēhi raghunātha prāṇa priya nāhiṁ | "Let alone human beings, there is no living creature in the entire creation who does not love God more than his own life."

Both Valmiki and Tulsidas are God-realized saints. Possessing perfect knowledge, their words cannot be false.

जानत तुमहिं तुमहिं है जाई ॥
jānata tumahiṁ tumahiṁ hai jāī ॥
“One who knows God becomes God like”.

So, let us reflect on the deeper truth behind their statements.

The Universal "Why?"

If you ask a group of people about their earnest desires, you may receive a variety of answers: wealth, health, fame, education, or freedom. But if you dig deeper, the answer is always the same.

Imagine asking a child carrying a heavy load of books:

• "Why do you carry so many books?"
  • "It is necessary to study to get to the next grade."
• "Why are you anxious to get to the next grade?"
  • "So I can get a higher education."
• "Why higher education?"
  • "To get a good job and earn good money."
• "Why do you want money?"
  • "To live a comfortable and happy life."
• "Why do you want to be happy?"

Your questions will cease here. The child—and indeed any human—will simply say, "I don't know why, but I just want to be happy."

From the Creator Lord Brahma to a tiny ant, everyone wants to be happy. Even a newborn child cries right after birth, proclaiming, "I want happiness! I do not want the pain I just suffered."

The Mystery of Uniformity

In this world, there is endless diversity.

• No two fingerprints are identical.
• No two snowflakes have the same shape.
• No two people have exactly the same temperament.

Yet, amidst this infinite variety, how is it that the desire for attaining Happiness is identical in every single living being?

The Vedic Resolution: Part and Whole

Our Vedas resolve this mystery with a simple natural law: Every part naturally seeks its whole.

• If you hold a lump of mud and let it go, it falls to the Earth, its origin.
• All flames naturally rise upward toward the Sun, the source of fire.
• No matter where a river originates, it rushes toward the Ocean, the source of all water.

The jiva (Soul) is an infinitesimally small part of God.

ईश्वर अंश जीव अविनाशी (Gita)
īśvara aṁśa jīva avināśī
"The soul is an eternal part of God."

चिन्मात्रं श्री हरेरंशं सूक्ष्ममक्षरमव्ययम्
cinmātraṁ śrī harēraṁśaṁ sūkṣmamakṣaramavyayam (Veda)
"The soul is a conscious, subtle, and imperishable particle of Shri Hari."

If the soul is a part of God, it should naturally desire God. Why, then, do we say we desire happiness? The Vedas provide the final link:

आनन्दो ब्रह्मेति व्यजानात् ।
ānandō brahmēti vyajānāt |
"God is Happiness."

The Unconscious Believer

It is incorrect to say God has happiness. The Vedas declare that God and Happiness are one and the same.

Being a part of God, every soul naturally and desperately wants to meet Him. A soul cannot be happy until it meets its origin—the unfathomable ocean of ever-increasing Ananda (Bliss). This is why no amount of wealth, position, or material fame can satiate us.

Even though an atheist may deny "God," they are perpetually hankering for "Happiness." This attitude is like saying, "I hate the husband of my mother, yet I love my father." You are loving the same entity, just under a different name.

Conclusion

Humans are considered the most intelligent beings, yet we forget things easily. But the quest for happiness is so deep that even after roaming through 8.4 million life forms, enjoying the luxuries of heaven (Swarg), and suffering the tortures of hell (Narak), this desire has never been forgotten.

That is why Sage Valmiki and Saint Tulsidas asserted that everyone is a believer. You may not know His name, but you are chasing Him every moment of your life.

आनंद भगवान का पर्यायवाची शब्द है ॥
चाहे आनंद कहो, भगवान कहो, खुदा कहो, गौड कहो, सब का एक अर्थ है ॥
"Happiness is a synonym of God. Whether one says 'Happiness', 'Bhagawan', 'Khuda' or 'God', they all mean the same."

— Jagadguruttam Swami Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj

Further Reading and Reference

• The Search for Happiness
• Aim of Life
• Understanding the Mind's Endless Cravings
• Does Worship Lose Power When Divided?
• Types of Life Forms