One day, not long ago, outta nowhere, I faced a question, much bigger than a person so selfish like me & limited in thoughts, can even dare or care attempt.
I'm not saying I can't. I'm saying I wouldn't.
"What is Religion for you?"
You know that feeling when you've done something wrong & your mother finds out after many days & asks you about what you did. And even when many days have passed since that incident, you still feel something in your stomach. That was it.
All the images of 33 crore Gods of my religion PLUS a few of other religions came up in my head. For a moment it even took me time to realize which one I follow! Ah...that's where I stand.
I'm a born Hindu. My parents raised me up with Ganesh Chaturthis monthly, Diwali and Dasra yearly, Shravan mas and Durga utsav, my Aaji told me stories from Ramayan & Mahabharat, my Uncle took me to Kurukshetra, Mathura, Gokul & other places to further cement my belief & being a "Proud Indian citizen" I happily accepted every government holiday without even giving it a second thought....& who complains when it's a holiday huh!
To add up to it, I lived for the past six years with two of my roomies-turned-bestfriends who followed Islam, my best friend is a Buddhist & my other best friend wants to convert to Sikhism.
So even if I want it or not, even if I spent a moment giving it thought or not, even if it is important to voice my thoughts or not...I have to face this question.
On some level, but I gotta.
I've read about the evolution of Hinduism or more appropriately Vedic Dharma. It was brought & developed by Aryans to my land & then over a few hundred years blended in well. But then when people felt a need to stop the violence in it, namely animal sacrifice, that was a need for yagnas & the discrimination that held it's head so high, that is became unbearable for a common man to breathe, came Buddhism and Jainism. And if you look at it...it's exactly in the same time period!
Then rose Islam. It's values were simple and easily acceptable, which attracted many, but it's spread was more or less forceful. Think of it this way, I'm a raised Hindu and if you are going to preach me your religion, I'm gonna resist you on some level, internally, but you gotta be convincing enough that I go beyond it. That didn't quite happen as Prophet would have wanted it to be. History says so.
So, when Islam was widespread, the Vedic Dharma rose up again, saving itself, spreading itself. That was done by our saints....Tukaram, Dnyaneshwar, Kabir, Eknath, Samartha Ramdas, Guru Nanak...you name it. They all belong to more or less the same period. All with the same motto.
Even though am a genetically a critical person, I wouldn't say anything wrong about it. It was the need of the time.
I feel Religion is a flawed aspect to look at the world. Religion is created outta necessity...to know what to do with your body after you are dead.
Because for me, it does not come in between me & my patients or my parents or my lovely dog. It does not tell me which side of the bed I should sleep or what clothes I should wear or if it's a good day to start something new. It does not tell me I shouldn't do something if I'm menstruating or I shouldn't kiss a guy I like. I do things because I want to, not because I have to & there's a world of difference between it! I don't feel trapped. ....coz honestly, I don't follow it like I ought to.
I'm a person who is into an institution & doesn't follow it. I'm like this mindless believer who resorts to my God when I feel the person who had to understand me & hold me close, hasn't. I'm this person who tightly holds on to my Ganesh idol and call my dad when I am in trouble. I confess and cry in my mother's arms if I feel helpless and she pats me back and comforts me saying "God will do it alright!", where on the contrary, it's her!
I was lucky to have a friend, who unknowingly, taught me, with his actions that keeping someone happy is the easiest thing to do. I think that's way more important than having a room full of Gods and incense sticks. I'm not saying you shouldn't have it. If it gives you peace, if it makes you calm, if that's what you remember when you are scared, you should. But that shouldn't be the only thing. That isn't the only thing.
Your life has a purpose, much higher than you can imagine.
So, I don't think I want to chain myself into a limited territory & grounded, calling myself by a flawed identity, rather a Secular, Tolerant person who wants to know as much as the universe wants to tell me.
And a bit more.
I'm not saying I can't. I'm saying I wouldn't.
"What is Religion for you?"
You know that feeling when you've done something wrong & your mother finds out after many days & asks you about what you did. And even when many days have passed since that incident, you still feel something in your stomach. That was it.
All the images of 33 crore Gods of my religion PLUS a few of other religions came up in my head. For a moment it even took me time to realize which one I follow! Ah...that's where I stand.
I'm a born Hindu. My parents raised me up with Ganesh Chaturthis monthly, Diwali and Dasra yearly, Shravan mas and Durga utsav, my Aaji told me stories from Ramayan & Mahabharat, my Uncle took me to Kurukshetra, Mathura, Gokul & other places to further cement my belief & being a "Proud Indian citizen" I happily accepted every government holiday without even giving it a second thought....& who complains when it's a holiday huh!
To add up to it, I lived for the past six years with two of my roomies-turned-bestfriends who followed Islam, my best friend is a Buddhist & my other best friend wants to convert to Sikhism.
So even if I want it or not, even if I spent a moment giving it thought or not, even if it is important to voice my thoughts or not...I have to face this question.
On some level, but I gotta.
I've read about the evolution of Hinduism or more appropriately Vedic Dharma. It was brought & developed by Aryans to my land & then over a few hundred years blended in well. But then when people felt a need to stop the violence in it, namely animal sacrifice, that was a need for yagnas & the discrimination that held it's head so high, that is became unbearable for a common man to breathe, came Buddhism and Jainism. And if you look at it...it's exactly in the same time period!
Then rose Islam. It's values were simple and easily acceptable, which attracted many, but it's spread was more or less forceful. Think of it this way, I'm a raised Hindu and if you are going to preach me your religion, I'm gonna resist you on some level, internally, but you gotta be convincing enough that I go beyond it. That didn't quite happen as Prophet would have wanted it to be. History says so.
So, when Islam was widespread, the Vedic Dharma rose up again, saving itself, spreading itself. That was done by our saints....Tukaram, Dnyaneshwar, Kabir, Eknath, Samartha Ramdas, Guru Nanak...you name it. They all belong to more or less the same period. All with the same motto.
Even though am a genetically a critical person, I wouldn't say anything wrong about it. It was the need of the time.
I feel Religion is a flawed aspect to look at the world. Religion is created outta necessity...to know what to do with your body after you are dead.
Because for me, it does not come in between me & my patients or my parents or my lovely dog. It does not tell me which side of the bed I should sleep or what clothes I should wear or if it's a good day to start something new. It does not tell me I shouldn't do something if I'm menstruating or I shouldn't kiss a guy I like. I do things because I want to, not because I have to & there's a world of difference between it! I don't feel trapped. ....coz honestly, I don't follow it like I ought to.
I'm a person who is into an institution & doesn't follow it. I'm like this mindless believer who resorts to my God when I feel the person who had to understand me & hold me close, hasn't. I'm this person who tightly holds on to my Ganesh idol and call my dad when I am in trouble. I confess and cry in my mother's arms if I feel helpless and she pats me back and comforts me saying "God will do it alright!", where on the contrary, it's her!
I was lucky to have a friend, who unknowingly, taught me, with his actions that keeping someone happy is the easiest thing to do. I think that's way more important than having a room full of Gods and incense sticks. I'm not saying you shouldn't have it. If it gives you peace, if it makes you calm, if that's what you remember when you are scared, you should. But that shouldn't be the only thing. That isn't the only thing.
Your life has a purpose, much higher than you can imagine.
So, I don't think I want to chain myself into a limited territory & grounded, calling myself by a flawed identity, rather a Secular, Tolerant person who wants to know as much as the universe wants to tell me.
And a bit more.
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