Contd from previous post…. There is something more that came to my mind (although not everyone of you might be able to relate to it…realization is personal… if you ever talked to me on such topics you’d be lucky enough to notice it). I realized that in every debate related to Indian society, populace, choices, freedom I have very often presented contradictory and confusing views.
I realized that I’ve seen the life here at the village wherein there is very little freedom, very little choices and primary struggle is survival, not prosperity, I’ve seen the life at Alhbd wherein there is a little freedom, people have a couple of choices, I’ve seen the life in Delhi wherein people have more freedom and choices and finally I’ve just been lucky to see the life at UK, wherein people can’t imagine life without freedom and/or choices. May be I’ve read/seen/experienced the best and worst of so many strata of societies wherein excess of one strata is the basic necessity of the other one and taking into account all indexes no particular hierarchical ratings for “best society” can be decided. So may be, just may be, I have not been able to decide what package is best for anyone of any strata and I keep swinging like a pendulum to grab the best of all the worlds, hence the confusion.
Later while I was at Alhbd, I had a good discussion with my mother over the entire puja and concept of spiritualism. I told my mother that I don’t really believe in idol worship very much although don’t deny it at all. I argued that if really these big pujas would be a better way to make Him notice your faith, then would money not be the ultimate God; you spend more of it, have a grander puja and God would notice it more. Then why God, why not do everything to achieve money since it is a way to reach Him.
Well, my mother didn’t have much to argue against it but she felt as if I didn’t like spending money on the puja. She tried to turn the tables on me with this idea but I clearly said that I did the puja because they all wanted and I am not very religious at all. Then I further told her how pandits fighting and pandits discrimination ultimately defies the whole logic of puja-path, that I don’t totally neglect a mandir when I pass by one but don’t believe that running every Tuesday to Sankatmochan will make Hanumanji happy (or maintaining a dry day on Wednesday or any other day will appease any other God, although I didn’t mention this).
Although (to criticize it) this may be called as spiritualism of convenience but I have faith and I don’t hurt anyone by this and the best part is atleast I am not vulnerable to faith-breaks like in incidents like those of Shabrimala and Amarnath.
The interesting part is that my mother had no reply to all this, and in some ways she did agree to what I was saying but she is planning another puja shortly. Seems my arguments were good but not effective enough.
But the point to think is this, is spiritualism only/more effective if you take pains to reach, adulate Him or as Mohan Bhargava puts it across to Ravana in Ramleela, “Dekh taj ke paap Ravana, Ram tere man mein hai” spiritualism is a self-faith and self-satisfaction thing. (thanks to Sid for making me realise the connection)
Update: And this article couldn’t have come at a better time. Read 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 : TOI survey on youth’s take on spirituality!!Next Blog: Blog Vs Diary!!
3 comments:
I read this in a vivekananda book.. once he met a king who didn't believe in idol worship.. vivekananda asked the king to spit at the photo of his father..he didn't.. so he related this to idol worship...
point is that if u respect something, believe in it..and want to worship it.. what is the harm in giving a visual aspect to it...
but then, if u believe in something, then it is with you always... its in ur 'mann'... u dont need to find it in a idol..
as u see, i am also ambivalent on the issue.. but here, may be my being an atheist helps ;) ;)
spiritualism of convenience. .well. i dont agree with the negative connotation of the word.. it's one's own belief..in god or anything.. and it is not necessary to display it extravagantly...
if we assume there is a god, he would prefer you spending 1 hour doing a noble cause - may be serve food at the mandir rather than chanting hymns in front of the idol...
but again that is a matter of ur definition of spirituality... if u say being lost in singing Paeans makes you more spiritual..then be it..
no easy answers to the questions u have raised ;)
hmmm well the leaf from vivekanand's book was really impressive... it puzzled me for a while since I wud do the same...
but the response may not be the same for an atheist ...
I never said that there is something wrong in giving respect which YOU think it deserves just that it makes your faith vulnerable to incidents.
and we are not alone... if you check out the links... one of the survey does show that ppl find God in children... I sure am one of them.. to me God is some relief factor and I find that in small children (infants esp)
Similarly there were certain strinking results of the survey that I too believe in ...
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