Buddhist Perspective of God, Gods & gods

This is a sutta about how a Maha Brahma by the name Brahma Baka was deluded that he was the eternal and almighty God and how Mara tried to convince the Buddha and other Brahmas that He (Brahma Baka) was right: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.049.than.html The last verse in the Jayamangala Gatha is about this same Brahma Baka.

This sutta answers several questions that we may encounter in giving Dhamma talks:

1. What is the equivalent to God in Buddhism?
2. Is God almighty in terms of psychic power?
3. How God himself was deluded that He was a God?

4. Does the Buddha sometimes use psychic powers for education purpose?

5. What is the relationship between Buddha and God or Gods?

There is a sutta that indicates to us that a Maha Brahma (God) is NOT omniscient http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/dn/dn.11.0.than.html (under 'Conversations with Gods). Once, He was consulted by a monk on a metaphysical question related to the 4 great elements. He was bragging about His knowledge and greatness but in the end still could not answer the question. He then felt embarrass among the other Brahmas and finally asked the monk to consult the Buddha instead of Him.

This sutta answers the following questions:

1. Is God omniscient or all-knowing?

2. Does God also sometimes have pride and feel embarrass?

3. How much does the Buddha know as compared to the gods (deva) and Gods (brahma)?

Why do some people believe that there is a creator and almighty God? http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/dn/dn.11.0.than.html (last part of sutta under 5th wrong view) This sutta talks about how Maha Brahma's' can become deluded that they are Gods.

According to Bhante Punnaji, Maha Brahmas are beings of the 1st Jhana Brahma Realm (lowest of the Brahma realms) and each Maha Brahma actually resides at the center of a galaxy. When the universe (numerous galaxies) contracts into a 'big crunch', there will be no matter (galaxies) in the universe, then all the Maha Brahmas and other smaller Brahmas ('Mini Brahmas') will be reborn into Higher Brahma realms that are immaterial. During a subsequent big-bang and universe expansion, the Maha Brahmas and Mini Brahmas will be reborn again in the 1st Jhana Brahma Realm/galaxies. Since the Maha Brahmas are born first and more powerful than the Mini Brahmas, they became deluded that they are the Gods. Some Mini Brahmas later were reborn in the human realm and able to recall their past association with the Maha Brahma. Naturally, they (Mini Brahmas) became deluded that they were inferior to the Maha Brahmas (God) and they are the follower of God.

This sutta answers the questions:

1. Why does God think that He is a God?

2. Why do some people think that there is a God?

Please be diplomatic when you answer questions about God to avoid arguments or intimidations. Late Chief would say, "Buddhists do believe in God but the concept of God is different" when asked whether Buddhists believe in God. i think that is a gold standard answer for peace, harmony and understanding.

31 Planes of Existence (Buddhist Cosmology): http://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/dhamma/sagga/loka.html

Do human beings evolve from devas and simpler life forms? http://www.moonpointer.com/essays/aggannasutta.pdf

Aganna Sutta & Buddhist Cosmology: A Commentary http://www.budsas.org/ebud/ebdha190.htm