Should one believe in God?

I guess before believing or not believing in God, and finding reasons for either, it is necessary to say what you mean by God. And I believe therein lies the answer to the posed question as well.

What is God? Swami Vivekananda explains this beautifully in one of his lectures (The necessity of religion). The entire concept of God and its necessity can be traced back to the struggle of every society to fight nature, to go beyond what seems to be limit of one's prowess. Early man thought rain gives food and water. Since the survival off human beings was based on it, 'rain' is a kind God. But sometimes it rained too much and it destroyed food. So 'rain' is also a God who became angry. It all lead to nature worship. With progress in instruments, technology and knowledge about surroundings, man reached a stage where he can exert 'control over these so-called gods. If Sun-god decides to be too hot, man can build a shelter and protect himself. If 'rain-god' decides to be evil and destroy crops, he can route the water away and save his food. Thus, he could control these aspects, and hence they lost their 'god-hood' in the mind on the man.

Although there was a progress in the physical sciences, there still were other battles man fought. There was the fate, the future, the death. These things still haunted the man and hence subsequent versions of 'gods' became those who could either conquer these for men or help men conquer them. In a way, we find most people even today believing in these concepts of Gods. One prays for safe return of a beloved gone to war, because God can control that person's 'fate'. An ill-man's relatives pray to a God to save the dying man because they believe that God can fight death. In some way or another, always God is the person who does something which the worshipper is powerless of doing.

This is the God of the masses. The God who gives hope, strength, belief in a higher power, and becomes ultimately the Savior. Most people believe in God for exactly these reasons.


But every once in a while, there are certain men and women in every society for whom this concept of God is no good. They declare that such a definition of God as ‘savior’ is very narrow and unsatisfactory. They take one of the two paths, and both lead them to gaining higher understanding about God. Some worship God, assuming He is the highest for only the sake of worshipping. They ask for nothing, only keep giving whatever they have to offer. Some offer worship, others offer love and yet others offer all their deeds or actions to God. These people, due to lack of want, have a clear mind, and have all their faculties towards the higher truth, and hence are blessed with higher understanding of their own selves and God.

The second category of people undertake a rigorous effort in the understanding of the principles of nature, and their own Self by various men. These men become the ‘Enlightened Ones’, who understand the basic unity between the human being and the Universe. The people in first categories become the Mirbaais, Prahlads and Tukarams of the world. The second become the Buddhas, Christs and Shankaracharyas of the world.

The one thing that runs common in the teachings of all these great men and women is the fact that they proclaim the existence of a higher truth that is not seen in the human world or experienced by any of the senses. More importantly, they claim that this higher truth is what every human being possesses in himself but is unaware and can become potentially aware. Some called it by the name Krishna, some Brahman, some the ‘Father in the Heaven’ and some say it is Allah. One could say that the ‘gods’ of the masses are but lower versions of what these souls called as the ‘truth’. Some people see a small stream, some see a waterfall, others see a lake or a river and yet others, with their wide eyes see the ocean. However, the 'wise' ones among us realize that the essential element in all these different forms is the water, each of these are but a temporary form, the ultimate reality is water!

With this perspective, is there is a God for us to believe in? The answer is both yes and no. If believing in Krishna helps you, he is the God for you, if believing in Brahman or a Lord in heaven or Allah works for you, he is your concept of ‘God’. An atheist believes that law of causation explains all, then that is his God. In a way, we all begin as agnostics, and over a time form an opinion of ours about God. For some this concept comes solely from religious books, family and various places of worship, while some see beyond all these and use their own faculties to understand Him!

More than anything else, the concept of God is the most personal and hence should not be enforced upon anyone else. Like a Sufi poem goes,
“Dair Mein Tu Haram Mein Tu, Arsh Pe Tu Zameen Pe Tu
Jiss Ki Pohonch Jahan Talak Us Ke Liye Waheen Pe Tu
Tum Ek Gorakh Dhanda Ho"
(You are in every place of worhip, on the throne in heaven and on earth, however far one can reach, you are there for him, you are a mysterious puzzle.)

So yes, with his definition of God, everyone believes in a God, only the names, definitions and concepts of God differs from person to person. The need for a person is to believe in his God sincerely and not to force his or her. The requirement is tolerance, let each individual define and believe his own 'God'.

May the Krishna, the Allah, the Lord, the Yehowah all give us peace on this beautiful earth, may we all open our eyes and see their light, may we all learn to respect each other's concepts, may we all reach the peace within, and create the peace outside!

Good Thoughts?

I had to write this before I could post any more blogs.

I planned to write on this blog because I believe every person gets good thoughts once in a while, and it is a part of being a good human being to develop these thoughts and make them known to people. I believe doing our part in spreading our good thoughts definitely helps in increasing the good will in the world.

But where does one get good thoughts from? There always are minor squibbles in each person's life. And most of us get over them and smile in front of the world neverthless. That smile might be fake sometimes for most of us, but still it gives sense of hope. A smile returned with another smile, even from a stranger, gives a sense that there is some good existing in the world. There is this sense of things being in order. We play these little games, but they do a lot in maintaining a sense of well-being in the world.

But last week has been shocking and I personally found it difficult to maintain that smile. And it was not for personal reasons. First, my city, Mumbai, was attacked. Again. For absolutely no fault of theirs, more than 200 people lost their lives, and around 1000 were injured. This comes along when the wounds of Varanasi blasts have not even started healing! For some it may be a way for gaining political clout, for others, mean to spread their version of a religion and for yet some other people, a simple means to vent their frustrations with what they think is wrong. But for those who died, and their families, it meant the end of the world, the breaking of a sweet thing called 'home'.

This was not just a single incident. There is havoc going on in the Middle East, not to forget Afganistan and Iraq. There was a bomb-blast in Pakistan too. Without going into who is right or wrong, any action or inaction leading to the death of so many people is wrong. There is news that some 600 Indian farmers committed suicide because of various reasons - not able to support their families, pay loans and malnutrition. In any other country, 600 suicides in a span of a few months would have become the talk of the whole nation. In this case, neither the media, nor the government seemed concerned.

Terrorism, hunger, poverty, lack of education, diseases... the list goes on. These are the real problems facing us today. No matter how much optimism one has, one has to accept that the world is going through a very bad phase now. Not only is it bad that about half the world is hungry, the problem is the other half doesnt care about it.

In this context, where do the good thoughts fit in? How does one flaunt the smile to a stranger when the inside is full of disappointment, anger, resentment and depression? The answer, I believe is again in hope! In spite of all the bad things happenning, there still are people working for others. There still are the common men and women of the world who believe in the value of life and love. The same blasts in Mumbai which signified inhuman acts by some men gave an opportunity for others to show their human side. There were 100s in the hospitals within an hour of the blasts to volunteerily donate blood. That is a sign that the indomitable will of human spirit is still strong and nothing can crush it.

Sai baba, a sage from India, said the biggest mantra for a human being is 'shraddha and saburi' - faith and patience. With these, a man can climb mountains of difficulties. There is still faith in the human side of people, in the fact that even in this age of inhuman killings, there are people who believe helping another individual is their duty and can derive happiness from doing it. All we need is patience. If there is any strength in the feeling of love, the human spirit shall survive - as it has done in the past.

Meanwhile, we should all do our little part in spreading the good will. We should all still give that free smile spreading happiness, we should still use our means and facilties to spread our good thoughts. There might be a dark night going on, but the only thing that will come out of it is a bright morrow.

Let us all join hands and work for the survival of good will and love. Let us all wish for a happy world and spread the hope. Let us all give that smile!:)

4th of July

Thousands of Americans today celebrate the Day of Independence from their colonial rulers more than 300 years ago. For the Hindus in India and abroad, and also his other followers, this day marks the one on which Swami Vivekananda took samadhi in 1902. For several reasons, this marked the end of an era and the beginning of another one. It is a remarkable thing that the greatest disciple of all times took samadhi on the day of American Independence, 4th of July, and his guru, Ramakrishna Paramhamsa had done the same on the day India was destined to get its Independence in 1947, on 15th August 1886. It was fitting that the work the guru had started in India was continued by the most fitting disciple all over the world.

The emergence of this guru-shishya pair into prominence in India and abroad both hold great significance for various reasons. It was a time in India when Macaulayian education was fastening its grip over the young Indian intelligiensia. Every year, thousands of Indian youth were being educated in Western education and were made to hate Indian traditions, culture and way of life. It had become a fashion to ridicule anything Indian or Hindu and the young minds were being foolishly drawn to Western ideals. Vedas and other scriptures were being ridiculed like never before! At this time, one voice firmly declared that the Hindu religion and Hindu thought were the things which should make the Indian nation most proud and it was a wealth which all Indians should cherish. This voice, which echoed in the Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893, soon swept across all of the Western world and captured back the hearts of the Indian youth. 50 years of Macaulayian education was rendered useless and once again thousands of Indian men and women were inspired by this young monk to study, respect and nourish Indian traditions and values. This was the voice of Swami Vivekananda and he was speaking the words of his guru Ramakrishna Paramhamsa.

The phenomenon, that this guru-shishya pair were, had its effect not only on the Indian mentality and general public, but also changed the way Westerners looked towards India. Hundreds of Westerners were first impressed, then inspired and finally won over by this spirited Hindu sadhu wearing a saffron robe and speaking in their own language about some of the boldest religious principles they had ever heard! Several of them were so attracted to Swami Vivekananda's personality that many of them followed him to India; only to find there were 15 or so of his fellow disciples here, each of whom was as spirited as him and each showed a different aspect of their guru's personality. The lectures and yoga lessons that Swamiji gave in the West completely changed the outlook of Westerners towards these practices and a lot of success of these things today in the West can be attributed to him.

Today, more than ever there is a need for the following of the teachings of this great pair. In the day when religious fanaticism is on a monotomic rise, there is a need of a voice saying that all religions are finally ways and means to realize the same Eternal Truth. When the mind of a person is being constantly grippled by insecurity, loss of faith and self-doubt, the practice of yoga is very much necessary to maintain a physical and mental equilibrium. When the rich are becoming richer and poor are becoming poorer, when the gap in haves and havenots is widening faster than ever before, when all a person can think of is accumulating as much wealth as possible, teaching the ideal of renunciation proposed and followed by these two great mean is the real need of the hour!

It has been 104 years since the great light name Swami Vivekananda merged into its source after being on this earth for a mere 39 years. The work he did in these 39 years has taken firm roots and has spread across the whole world under the name of Ramakrishna Mission. His words have inspired thousands of men and women across the world and is changing the life of thousands more daily. It is time we all gather together under his guidance and follow on the path towards truth prescribed by him!

May we all progress towards this greatest Truth and ultimately realize the true, Immortal, Infinite nature of our Self! May we all be blessed with that Immortal Bliss which he always said is rightfully ours! May we all feel the Sat, Chit, Anand that even the highest of the yogis crave for!
Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti!

What saved Hinduism?

Often it has been wondered in discussion groups, media about the reason for the existence of Hinduism, and the reason it has survived the incessant attacks. The other major religions of the world, Judaism, Zorastriarism (religion of Parsees) and infinite others which existed in the past are either extinct now or have to lead a meagre survival. For more than 1000 years, India, the home of Hinduism was ruled by non-Hindus for the major part, yet the flame of Hinduism didnt burn out! Hinduism still has its flag high up, making the name 'Sanatana Dharma' given to it very apt.

But what is the reason behind this greatness of Hinduism. Mind you, it is not just a religion in the sense that people follow certain religious practices, go to temples etc. So far, in some form or another, the Hindu way of life has survived not just in India but beyond. True that it has got mixed with the other cultures it came in contact with, has trasnformed with the necessities of time, but still it continues to add its own favor in the places where a Hindu goes.

So what makes Hinduism unique? Is it the Vedas, Upanishads and Gita? But hardly a percent of Hindus read any one of them in their entirety! Also, the possibility of a book of such stature as a Veda or an Upanishad being lost in say a Babylonian culture cannot be denied. Is it the philisophy? For ages, people have kept thinking about ways of explaining nature; and have created philosophies in that attempt! Is it the Indian science, culture, arts and architecture which preserved Hinduism? But there are the pyramids, the whole of Mayan artefacts and the Roman collosium. There was Greek geometry, Roman science and amazing artforms all over the world. The fact that Indians were good at each of these things hardly explain the survival of Hinduism.

I had been thinking about this for a while now, and the answer came in an indirect manner in one of Swami Vivekananda's lectures! It is amazing how whenever I feel down or disturbed, opening a page in the sayings of the great man makes all my agonies unreal and trivial! The words have such energy that inspiration flows into a person by simply reading them!

The lecture I read was the one titled 'My Master', which is his discourse on life and teachings of Ramakrishna Paramhamsa. Of the hundreds of lectures SV gave since his historical speech at Chicago, this probably is the only one where he speaks of his Guru's personal life! The reason behind this is that he wanted to spread his guru's teachings, not his guru's fame!

In the course of his description of his Guru, he starts with first explaining what India stands for, what India means! He says that the basic soul of Hinduism and of India, the one common thread that binds the hundreds of sects in Hinduism together is this, 'There is a certain higher principle which is unmanifest, which exists in a dimension higher than the ones that are manifest; and the sole aim of human life is to realize that principle'. He says it is around this principle that the whole of Indian life revolves, the understanding of this higher principle! Indians can call it with multiple names such as moksha, mukti, nirvana, atma-dnyaan, they all mean the same thing, realizing the truth of life!

And therein lies the secret of Hinduism's survival! The sole aim is realization, for which a book, a messenger, a prophet, or even a son of God is not needed. For this, a clergy is not needed! Neither is the knowledge of a particular language required! One does not even have to be a genius to understand the truth! All that is needed is a pure heart and an intense desire to know the truth! Swamiji explains that as a boy, his guru, Ramakrishna Paramhamsa, naturally possessed these qualities, and that they truly signify the defining characteristic of a true Hindu!

So how could Hinduism be destroyed! The invaders came and plundered. They destroyed the temples and the idols! But that was simply the 'body' of Hinduism, the external visible part! They destroyed the books, mistranslated and misprojected them! They even tried to burn the great libraries, which were 'mind' of Hinduism. The books simply stated the truths, they were not the truths! The last attempt, the one done by Western education was to play with the 'intellect', where the young minds were systematically taught to hate their religion and culture. But alas! They missed the important thing, the 'soul' of Hinduism! The Hindu declares that the body,mind and intellect of a person are mere the projections, the manifestations! The real nature of a man is his soul! So is it with a religion. The soul of Hinduism is in realization and that is as strong as ever!

Can this soul ever be destroyed? No! It is a basic nature of humans to enquire, to ask about what is beyond to try to find out what the beginning and the end of the existence is! Until this nature exists, such a question will always come up, "What is beyond?" and until such a question rises, noone can kill the soul of HInduism! The self-enquiry will continue, beings will realize their true nature and the flag of Sanatana Dharma will shine high!

This immortality of the soul of Hinduism is the real reason for its eternalness! All other factors are the after-effects, the helping tools. As long as there is one man on this earth who wishes to enquire in his real nature, Hinduism continues to exist!

It is well summarized in the story of King Alexander and the monk he meets! Alexander, the ruler of half the land on earth, is impressed by the life of this monk and wishes to take him to Greece with him. But the monk refuses. The king promises all the riches, a comfortable life and a big piece of land, but the monk refuses to move! Alexander finally draws his sword and says if he doesn not oblige, he will simply kill the monk!
At this the monk laughs and says, "This the stupidest thing you have ever said! I have realized I am not the body but the soul, and my soul cannot be pierced by any weapon or burnt by a fire. It is immortal!"
Such is the soul of Hinduism! The Alexanders of the world can try as much as they want to kill it, it is immortal, indestructible! Like the seed that springs from the land in the form of a tree, it will always rise no matter how deep it has been buried!

May we all become such seeds and blossom into trees where the flower of realization blooms and spreads its fragrance to the whole world!