Showing posts with label Religion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Religion. Show all posts

Monday, December 5, 2011

Calling God to the witness box - III

Disclaimer: The comments and views expressed here are the author's own and not aimed at hurting anyone's beliefs and feelings. If you are offended, author seeks apology and wishes to inform that these are author's personal thoughts and he is free to so express. Content here is not endorsed/sponsored by any institution or group.

To re-connect to the subject of this series of posts, please have a look at the previous two posts on the subject at:
Also recommended are some very thoughtful reader comments on the first post listed above.

We grow, physically and mentally. As we live on, our perceptions of people, beliefs, society, life and ourselves also evolve based on what we have been through and observed around us. This concept of evolving thought captivates me to lead me to believe that as if 'some one' is always working on us into making us what we are. A reflection of this can be seen here as well and has been mentioned here and there in this blog as well time and again. Be it how airplanes fly, or be it how luck and prayer works our perception of everything goes through this evolutionary process!

Switching to the context of this post after that prelude and citing from conclusion of Calling God to the witness box - II

"Since childhood onwards, like everyone else, my understanding of God has been changing based on my own experiences and observations. I hope someone will relate to those when I discuss the same later..."

As long as I remember, it was never my aim to follow my religion to-the-letter. Although it was an expectation from me that was stated with a certain subtlety every now and then both at home, school and while venturing about in the civil society. I still keep getting these lessons sometimes a bit strictly too. My upbringing and schooling in somewhat conservative environment also imbibed the basic tenets of my religion pretty deeply during those young years. Pretty early on, I was, without any doubt, able to comprehend that those tenets actually are a reflection of what a humane living should be. To be, support, defend and follow the 'true'. That was my childhood God. A true power that always supports the righteousness and the right. Becoming the 'right' became an underlying agenda. The definition of 'right' however was guided by what was expected from me. Those expectations being dictated by my own actions that brought be good words from people I cared for and respect. Parents, Grandparents, Teachers, and some neighbors. That agenda, I pursued as per my capability and patience.

Being right in all doings was so important that it became almost a continuous thought always reigning my mind. Trying to put my actions in a rationality guided by this theme as much as possible. Being right here does not mean to force my own opinions and expect unconditional acceptance thereof but being true to your inner self in all your actions and deeds. In that I thought, I will have support of the ultimate 'right' power and this rationale gave me courage to pursue that 'theme'.


That faith in the right stayed with me for a long time until some people close to me got hurt. There was no logical path that led to the incidents that my puny understanding of spirituality was able to comprehend. The silence of intellect underlined by a constant beep of doubt akin to the sound of silence that we hear when there is absolute no noise around us. I reasoned that the ultimate enables also befalls this pain when He could have saved us all of it. I could not agree with the hypothesis of 'God testing our faith' because I was told over and over that He knows all. All means all, including the strength of our resolve towards His will.

The reasoning offered by some that 'there is some hidden betterment for all in this' just did not work for me. These events brought in a law of pre-ordained-destiny as an explanation to the happenings. No matter how much right you do. Whatever is your destiny must befall you. Or honor you if it is so destined. No matter how much you pray, worship, wear symbols around your neck or apply sacred colors on your forehead (the pun is not intended).

Does that mean that there is no need to be right or true? That one will ultimately obtain what they deserve? Or instead of deserve, which makes it sound like we are the judges, lets say 'what is destined for them/us'? Those questions arose and remained unanswered by n number of religious speeches and books. It became a belief that destiny is a constant and it leads you to itself. Whenever I follow that school of belief, I am the happiest person. There are no regrets and no obligations towards any religious or spiritual duty. All the need for being a 'believer' in context of popular meaning of that term, is diminished beyond any significance or abolished altogether. The only belief is in doing the right with all your courage and capability and see the destiny slowly unfold in front of you. Amazing!

Does that means that we can turn into a villain without any moral obligations? Not really. There is no place where our deeds and actions are not going unaccountable for. We are constantly sending into the cosmos, a positive of negative energy by our actions and deeds. The pain inflicted on another being causes your 'cosmic vibes' to play against your tune. This energy dominates our inner self and shapes our future by acting as a driver of luck and chance opening up new doors to success or bringing upon failure and doom in otherwise.

The shine in your eyes and assertiveness in your statements comes from the positive or negative 'credits' you collected that way. The 'light (or darkness) within' shows and has its effect on the world outside. Good happens. Bad stays away (or the other way round). The creature gets his share of destiny. The believer credits it to God. The Atheist connects it to randomness of possibilities.

...and the thinker keeps wondering...!

[concluded]

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Calling God to the witness box - II

Note: This post is not related to Ayodhya verdict as the title may seem to suggest to some readers

Disclaimer: The comments and views expressed here are the author's own and not aimed at hurting anyone's beliefs and feelings. If you are offended, author seeks apology and wishes to inform that these are author's personal thoughts and he is free to so express. Content here is not endorsed/sponsored by any institution or group

Previous post on the subject:
My views on God in my last post might have made me sound like an Atheist. Which is also true to some extent. I do not wish to out-rightly disregard the existence of deities and spiritual powers but the essence of my previous post is somewhat motivated by a long standing confusion. The confusion arising  from two contradictory facts. One, that God wishes no harm to anyone, means no hatred, is compassionate, forgiving and knows all. Second, that the one who worships him, kneels before him, prays in front of him for material objects, happiness and peace, only such person shall be blessed and granted her/his desires.

If  God knows the insides of the insides of our souls; if He knows what we think, wish and believe about Him and His creations; where does the need for communication of our desires, wishes, etc arise? What would be the significance of a prayer that in itself happens as a consequence of His will directing a mind to move to a temple and pray?

Since long, I see people pray. I see people kneel down and scribble on the floor with their noses, in a gesture to display the humility that they owe towards the greatest giver of all. To impress Him? I see people routinely donating to His places, in His name. I see them never miss a day when they have not visited His temple.

And...

I also see the very people badmouth about others. I hear about the acts of greed, hatred, jealousy of the same very people. I hear them quarrel over dimes, over supremacy. I see them flaunt the very gifts they have been demanding from Him in front of the less lucky ones. The same very people who have been playing the loyal servant of God are, in another role, now playing a reckless, greedy human being who would, at a moment's notice, harm a fellow human with words or actions to demonstrate their might and supremacy over rest of them as much as possible.

Isn't it so that the God also watches them playing this new role? Is it that it is only when inside the temple that their deeds are visible to Him? Is God so innocent that He is driven away by their prayers and their acts wrongdoings are all waived off?

In contrast to this, a person who perceives Him in all His creations; who respects all beings for they are also His creations. Whose expression of love for Him only lies in performing the duties that He has ordained for this devotee who humbly carries out all His commands and abides by all His actions that happen to test him and his devotion. Such a person is in continuous state of prayer, no matter what she/he is doing. His Karma is his devotion. Such a person needs not to walk up to a temple to pay his obeisance rather for such a being, the whole world is home to God and he is always worshiping. Such a person is always able to communicate his thoughts to Him no matter where she/he is.

But if it still holds that praying and wishing to Him is required in order to get all our Karma to be accounted for and that we have to bow and kneel in his temples, no matter how humble we are in our deeds and expectations from Him, I would say that is in contradiction with the very nature of God that we are taught since we were able to comprehend human expression, that God is forgiving, he expects nothing but only gives and gives.


In this manner does that also holds that a creature, no matter how he treats fellow beings, shall be forgiven for all his ill deeds in his temples? Even if it is a way of life for him to steal and ask for forgiveness the very next day? Which one is the true way to appease God? Or does one (true way) even exist?

All the above unanswered questions stem from my varying beliefs in the concept of God and how I have been trying to rationalize and reconstruct them over years as I experienced and observed others' experience of what is called the acts of God and His will (Bhana). Since childhood onwards, like everyone else, my understanding of God has been changing based on my own experiences and observations. I hope someone will relate to those when I discuss the same later.

Monday, November 1, 2010

Calling God to the witness box - I

Note: This post is not related to Ayodhya verdict as the title may seem to suggest to some readers

Disclaimer: The comments and views expressed here are the author's own and not aimed at hurting anyone's beliefs and feelings. If you are offended, author seeks apology and wishes to inform that these are author's personal thoughts and he is free to so express. Content here is not endorsed/sponsored by any institution or group.

Prelude: "If you shall not bow in front of me, you shall be condemned to suffering and pain of all sorts till you finally agree to bow"

Since I don't know when, the society around me have been working hard day and night to instill a fear of an unknown spiritual power that no one has as yet claimed to have witnessed in person and no one can either claim that it does or does not exist. Every now and then, someone will attribute some bad happening in our lives to this spiritual power and try to provide a cure for the ensuing feeling of envy, pain, remorse, hatred, jealousy etc. Of course this spirit gets all the credit for all the good that happens without fail.

Not only me but every single human being born on this planet is fed with this conundrum right from the day they are born. Aka God.

My mother has been telling me to thank Him for all that I am and all that I am not. Because all that I am, is because He has enabled it, and that all that I am not, is because He sees something better for me. I am told to pray for goodies and success and prosperity from Him. Because He, being so generous will grant me whatever I ask for.

Scriptures and holy books, saints and religious orators tell us that He is the most generous of all, forgives all and showers the one who prays for him with material wealth. The worshiper of Him is granted immunity from all the evil and such a person enjoys special privileges in the 'life beyond' - Another conundrum I must opine.

Over a period of all these years, the existence of this spirit has so much become a part of my belief system that I instinctively feel obliged to bow to him every now and then. I feel that if I do not bow enough, do not thank enough, do not worship enough the ultimate giver, I might not make it. I might not be granted the rightful reward of my efforts in this world and that I might be left alone to make it on my own, abandoned by Him for I was not worshiping him enough.

I assume that many among us believe that if we do not thank Him and worship him during the good times, bad times and misfortune will befall upon us and then we will be again subject to the mercy of His acts and forced to remember Him and seek Him for all the mercy we need to avert the unfortunate circumstance.

Scriptures say that one who does not worship Him, praise Him every morning and evening, or however someone's religious dictum dictate, he/she shall be subject to pain and sufferings throughout the life.

This may not go very well with most readers. I do not wish to propose the non-existence of any such spiritual power. Above prerequisite (to pray, worship, visit His shrines) sounds to me not quite based on the qualities that of a spiritual power that has no enmity, ego, pride, jealousy with any living organism in the universe. Rather, to me it sounds more like a dictator's order, "If you shall not bow in front of me, you shall be condemned to suffering and pain of all sorts till you finally agree to bow".

to be continued...