Sunday, April 22, 2012

What are we teaching our kids about God?


Religion has been a part of every ancient and modern culture. So living ones culture also means living the religion it follows. Man began nature worship to thank and acknowledge the Might of Mother Nature. Soon the worshiping transformed into more complex forms, shapes, rules and restrictions.  What started as groups for the common good of the society has eventually  transformed into institutions which wage wars to defend their faith.  What has caused this mutation? Is religion any more for the good of its members? How have the religious beliefs changed over time? Are we teaching our kids the right thing?

In my opinion, religion is the most intimate relationship between man and God. It is a feeling of oneness with a Supreme Being. It is not a public display of power and dominance. God, if he exists is a public property everybody can enjoy but none can own. He is not God if he bestows his blessing on a reservation basis. If God is does not discriminate, why does Religion? Are our values misguiding us? How are we USING God?
As children, we tend to follow beliefs that their parents hold. With age come maturity in individual religious feelings and we start developing our own ideas of God and religion.  Unfortunately, many think of God as a mere Provider, a Santa Claus granting wishes. Some indulge in bribing God for good fortunes. In many instances, those people tend to be more religious who have the most fears about their future. The only things that attract them towards the Provider is fear of their impending failures, misfortunes and death. What seems comfortable to overcome these feelings is something socially acceptable to cling on ie. GOD.
In other cases, people believe worshiping is religiously holding onto their rituals fearing Dhosha of non-conformity. Here what parents pass on to their future generations is a bunch of fears, negativism and rituals sans their reasons.  What is lost in this seemingly ardent faith in God is the ability to see oneself in oneness with God. All those practices and faiths that should draw one towards Him have only divided men and distanced man from Him. God is merely a ritual in this ever-busy life.
How many of us would have given one moment to just sit there, close our eyes , and enjoy the amalgamation with nothing but a formless tranquility?

 We tag those people as atheists who do not see God as predefined entity. We tag those as atheist who can not see God as Christ or Krishna. We tag those as atheists who do not fight to defend their faiths with their religious counterparts. We tag those as atheist who believe living this life fully for the benefit of self and others is of utmost importance, than worrying constantly about previous and after lives.
Life is about co-existence and at the end of the day, the one who succeeds is the one who can truly utilize his religious values to achieve self and social harmony.  A religion which does not inculcate these values has merely defeated its purpose. Children who are taught that religion is a set of rituals and blind faiths tend to become religious fanatics, who would even justify killing people to keep up their faith. Children who are taught that God is a magician who performs miracles whenever sought tend to become atheists for they are so aware of the imperfections in the worlds around them. Thus they end up distancing themselves from Him.
Hence the importance of the parents’ role in driving their young ones’ minds into positive viewpoints about God and Religion is vital. Let us teach children to respect themselves, think positively, have good faith and work for a better life. Let us not fill up their inquisitive minds with our fears and blind faiths. Let us reason out God with them. Let them understand that God is not some fearful invisible watchdog, but he is like a pen friend who loves being in touch. Let us transcend our cultural and religious legacy not by passing on mere rituals but also the rich wisdom they stand for!

Sunday, June 13, 2010

The Evolution of God

Who said that the wheel was man’s first invention? To me it is God The Almighty - The unquestionable, the Omni present and Omni potent, Universal donor, the You Know Who.

Hailing from a moderately orthodox Hindu family and schooling in a highly orthodox Christian school, with contrasting beliefs, I learnt the similarities and differences in people’s mind set of the different faiths. They were all common in that they shared similar fears, similar sense of guilt and were similar in the ways they oppose the each other’s faiths. They were different in ways of their worship, their intensity of criticisms and periodicity of godly behaviours. So, in order to strike a balance between the two extremes, I developed what was called ‘Tolerance.

I visited my school chapel everyday and the temple at least once in a month. As expected, I was a mixture of both and original of none. I used to question my families’ practices at home and dared not to question those at school. Then came the question ‘whom to pray to’ (or honestly, which God was more powerful to grant wishes with zero waiting time). Also, during Thanksgiving, whom do I attribute my gifts to? I could say ‘Kadavulin Kirubai’ or ‘Deiva Sangalpam’, taking careful precautions not to offend any God. To solve these confusions, I adopted ‘generalization’ as a way of worship – The Universal One God!

I stopped referring to Gods by their proper names and was now more strategic in pleasing them. This saved me redundant requests and redundant acknowledgements on responses. As years passed by, even this became difficult. With more probing come more questions. With this common God, what would I imagine him as? What physical form is he? Does he have one? Is he of human form as we have always perceived him to be? If so, does he wear wealthy robes and latest fashion jewellery like the Saravana Stores advertisements (Is he a Capitalist?) or appears to be a pauper (communist?) With mounting confusions and more search for ‘knowledge’, I found a more comforting way of life. And that was ‘Aham Brahmmasmi!

W

hy do we always glorify God as a third person? Because the ideals we associate with him, the omnipotence we assume of him are all too idealistic to associate to any second person, leave alone first person. We can not imagine our sibling, our boss, our flight pilot, our spouse, our neighbouring country as Living Gods since we are so intolerant to humans that we cannot accept their slightest shortcomings. And what about experiencing God in ourselves? We conveniently ignored it, since in this case, with the original objectives we have set for God, we wouldn’t be able to yield to ‘worldly pleasures’, which are the driving forces of most of our lives.

But I decided I should be doing a balancing act between my belief and pleasures by following Aham Brammasmi or Naan Kadavul. It gave me so much comfort to relish myself as God that nothing I did seemed wrong. I had my own world. I loved everyone (though with a varying degree), I hated none (with uniformity), I accepted others as they are. I observed myself, my reactions to my own bliss, solitude, depression, freakiness and framed my God.

All was not well. And then some more disturbing questions arose? Am I omnipotent? Can I stop a calamity? Can I fix a broken heart? Can I solve the Indo-Pakistan dispute? Can I assure a plane’s safe landing? No. But what seemed soothing was that even the universally much acclaimed, God The Almighty himself has not been able to achieve these. If he is everything that he is claimed to be, are these happenings beyond his power of influence? Furthermore, man has to wage wars to protect the existence of this unseen being with hundreds and thousands being killed in his name. What good is a God who would let millions of his believers mercilessly massacred during the Holocaust? How omnipotent is God who can not save people from diseases/ famines? Why can’t he stop global warming? Why can’t he uplift the oppressed and suppressed as he had done in my High School Moral Science books?

I think I like confusing myself. But after confusions come clarity. So, now after all these I strongly feel, if I could do everything that God could, and more so, if God can not do what I can not, then he is as good as non-existent. If men are in their right senses, doing good, or at least doing no harm, accepting each other and ever learning, the world would be a better place to live in, even sans God’s help.

Now, is that my final belief? No. I will continue to evolve, for my good! Who is John Galt?



Friday, October 30, 2009

His Majesty's Apologies

I have never heard him say a "Sorry" before!

We have fought over petty things quite a lot of time. And mostly he ends up being the pettiest! Not that I wanted him to win, but I love to see the violence in his fight for victory.But this time, it was a bit serious.

He resorted to physical abuse!

I slapped him back.I was furious.Wait your turn buddy! I warned him in silence.He was flabbergasted, but he hid it well.He had seen me like he had never before.Not a regret... Not a guilt in his eyes. Not even a wince...!It just said "Well. I gave you one and got one back... We are equals now"!He recovered soon and got back to his usual errands around my house ignoring me.I retired to my room, sick feeling. Ours has been a very undemanding relationship all these 3 years. Not many mind us. His mom is quite possessive about him as most other moms would be. We talk a lot. Sense and nonsense. We have always been happy together. Never do we long for each other. But the joy of togetherness never ceases to exist. Now... I could hear my dad trying to distract him by his 'specialized' blah blahing. My dad has such a varied skill set, and this was a cake walk for him.My mind was calming down.After 15 minutes, Screeeech… The door seemed to open in slow motion. I was expecting my dad to come in and lecture on "Why I should not lock my door inside”

But it was Him.

Yes, He was back. But now, surprisingly, I did not feel the resurgence of my anger. Neither did I want him to come in. He looked at me with a note of "Can I come in?" in his eyes. He conveniently took a "Yes" when I only starred at him for a little longer and turned my face away.He came beside me, and sat close.

Very close.

My heart counted exactly 72 beats a minute. I was looking elsewhere...He held my hand.And that was when he uttered those words.Never in his life… even when beaten up, bribed or begged... has he uttered these words..But he now said "Sorry, Shama. Nee ennoda Shama. Enna paaru.. En kooda pesu Shama."And He kissed me.There!!! I couldn’t hold back the surprise and love in me.

I surrendered.

I showered my love back on him. He seemed as happy as me. We joined hands and happily went on with our usual 'talks'. My dad smirked. Just that.And then, the time had come for him,To leave me…To go home and have dinner...To start another fight with me , another day, for another Kit Kat , like today..To wake up early and go for his LKG admission interview scheduled tomorrow at the "DON's" Academy School.(I know, he is busier than me.)As I bid good bye to him, I said what I usually say to him “I love You, Srihari."With no hesitation, he said as always"I no love you, Shama. Nee azhudhukko!” . I smiled.

I hate inconsistencies!


Saturday, October 24, 2009

கறுப்புப் பூக்கள்





விடுமுறையை கழிக்க விடை தேடிகொண்டிருந்த என்னை
விருட்டென்று வரவேற்றது கடற்கரை!
தனியாக நடக்கத்தான் ஆசை, ஆனாலும்
திரண்டு வந்திருந்தது சென்னை மாநகரம்!

உப்புக்காற்று உள்ளே சென்றதும்
குபீரென்று வெளி வந்தன
குதவலையை நேரிதுக்கொண்டிருந்தவை!
"Salt Therapy" போலும்!!!

துரத்தும் தடுமாற்றங்கள் ..
தூரத்திலிருந்து நகையாடும் நான் கண்ட கனவுகள்..
தொலைந்த நண்பன்..
தொலையா பகைமைகள் ..
உறக்கம் மறந்த இரவுகள்..
உற்சாகம் மறந்த பகல்கள்..
காதில் கேட்கும் கதறல்கள்
கன நேரமும் கனைதுக்கொண்டிருக்கும் கைப்பேசிகள்..
சொல்ல மறந்த துன்பங்கள் ..
சொல்லாமல் மறைத்த இன்பங்கள் ..

அடுக்குமொழியில் அழுதுகொண்டிருந்தன ஆர்பரிக்கும் எண்ணங்கள்
ஒன்று கூடி ஒப்பாரி வைத்துக்கொண்டிருந்தன ஒவ்வா ஓலங்கள்
கழுவினேன்- கால்களோடு என் கவலைகளையும்!

பல்லாயிரக்கணக்கான மக்களில் என்னை மட்டும் பார்த்துவிட்டார் பொலும்
பன்மையாக என் பக்கத்திலே வந்து பக்குவபடுத்தியது கடலலை
"நில் , இறக்கி வை , திரும்பி செல் !" என்று தண்ணீர் தெளித்தது!

செவிமடுத்தேன்!

பொட்டலம் கட்டி படகில் ஏற்றிவிட்டேன் என் பழுவை
ஆனால் என் படகின் முன்னே மிதந்துகொண்டிருந்தனவோ சில பல கப்பல்கள்!

எடை குறைந்தாற்போல் மனதில் சோர்வின்றி
எதுகை மோனை பற்றிய கவலையும் இன்றி
விடை பெற்றுக்கொண்டேன் - வெகுளியாக!!

பி.கு
நான் கவியன் இல்லை..
கடற்கரையில் என் கவலைகளுக்கு கருப்பு பூக்கள் சமர்ப்பித்து காரியம் செய்ய வந்தவள்!!