In the name of God !!!

When I was a young girl, I had been introduced to my religion by my parents. Born into a Hindu family, I came to identify Gods and Goddesses through various idols kept in the house. I might have been asked to learn a few shlokas (though I cannot recall when and how I happened to learn them) because that is how I still remember them and recite them whenever I pray inside a temple. I would recite them, hands together in a prayer position, without knowing what they meant. Today when I recite them, I sometimes pay attention to each word and try to understand what they mean. The overall meanings of the shlokas which I recite have become clearer than when I was a kid. Not a compulsion, however I recall going to the temple in our colony once in a week. But actually as I go back in time, I recollect it was like going to the temple whenever you wanted to.

As a young girl if I would get into some trouble I would talk to this invisible power that all of us call God to help me. And that was not necessarily in front of the idols or in the temples. I would just talk anywhere making him present in my world. If happiness would come my way and if I believed it was because of his divine intervention, I would again talk to him mindless of the place I would be in. During all such conversations, I would not visualize any idol in front of my eyes. It was rather acknowledging the presence of one God, the Invisible, omnipresent, all knowing, all pervasive. I Believe in God and I still talk to my God in tough and happier times.

I remember somewhere last month in the news channels the question of conversion began surfacing. It was some Hindu organizations whom I saw on TV performing some rituals and converting people to Hinduism. There have been and are cases of conversions in each and every religion. But watching that video, my mind could not come to believe that only by performing a ritual how can someone become a Hindu or a Muslim or of any religion. Perform a ritual and change one’s religion appears quite ludicrous to me. I cannot imagine myself being part of a ritual that would change my religion until and unless I would really be attracted by this other religion or its ideals. Well, there is a lot of politics that play around the question of conversion which I certainly do not wish to enter.

I look around and find many people who would go to gatherings of various gurus and listen to them very attentively. I once asked a lady who happens to be my cousin aunt, why do you need to go to any of such gatherings. Her answer would be the answers of many. She said the religious Guru talks of God and isn’t it a nice thing to be listening to? I found her answer to be uniquely comical. And it’s not with her but most of us. While people congregate to pray to the Lord, they will follow a guru who will enlighten them with all the Gyaan. But what is the use of this Gyaan when after leaving the congregation or after having chanted the name of Lord you start badmouthing others, you are jealous of all around you, you do not wish your colleague does better than you or you wish bad for others, do not help the needy, become all selfish. Is this what a religion tells you? Why not be a good human being first than chanting the Lord’s name in vain.

Another thing quite unfathomable to me is the need itself to follow a guru. Some argue that the guru guides you to the right path. To some extent I might concede but I do not know if I accept it fully. I believe it is your own individual journey. I do not wish to follow any religious guru and certainly not the ones who have created an empire and made religion a business. I feel if one really wants to be guided, why not take out some time, read your own scriptures, reflect, analyze, question and interpret it yourself. You may discuss it with others and see what opinions or views they have on it.

There are a lot of TV channels where you could find a guru giving all the good Gyaan. They talk sometimes about the description of Gods or their stories in the mythology. And otherwise it is a talk on being a good human being . When I listen to them, the question knocks again at my mind’s door, why do I need a guru who tells me the very obvious things in the world, the obvious things being to be nice, tolerant, patient, generous and so on. Why cannot those who go and listen to him intently just introspect or reflect and maybe find answers. After all it is your personal journey and you need to inculcate all the virtues in yourself. How can a guru make you patient and tolerant if you yourself do not wish to be?

And then there are people who kill in the name of religion. No religion teaches to kill people. For God’s sake let us make humanity our religion.

Here in India, people are quite touchy on religious issues. Some of these people have quite an overactive grey matter. Yesterday I saw a statement made by a saffron clad person. The statement was quite funny. The next instant, there was a Muslim making statements. Since past few months a lot has been revolving around religion. I seriously do not wish to be a part of a religion that creates chaos and disturbs people. Whatever is happening around religion these days makes me believe that in India, people should not be allowed to gather and give religious speeches. No religious congregations should be allowed. Why? Because some of these people create an environment that disturbs others by uttering just about anything only in the name of God. Giving unnecessary statements by these self proclaimed religious people would actually lead to a disillusionment of a section of society from the religion itself. Well, they do not even know what religion is. I have not read the Scriptures. But whatever scant reading I have done tells me one thing very clearly, that God is in every one of us. If God is in every one of us why not behave well with others?  I would rather get disenchanted with Religion if these men and women do not stop making preposterous statements.

I feel following a religion is completely a private affair. What I follow is my personal choice. Let me decide which path I wish to take. And I wish to be left on my own. I do not wish to be guided by any guru. I have a relationship with God, I have faith. I believe in some things and I wish it to be left like that. 

And let’s follow the true religion.  Let’s be humans first.