God and Religion. Being from an orthodox Hindu Brahmin family and son of a Temple Trustee and religious man, I was very religious and God fearing in my younger days till recently when I changed. The reason for my change I feel is an internal enlightenment while my mother feels is because I have become more materialistic. Well to understand it I recently went through a very beautiful story.
A small child was standing and playing near its house gate and soon the child saw a beautiful puppy on the street. The child liked the puppy very much. It called the puppy, and the puppy seeing the child tried to run towards her. unfortunately at that time a fast moving bike hit the puppy on the road, and the puppy was severely injured. The child immediately started crying very loudly. It couldn't bear the puppy's loss. There parents rushed and tried to convince her but it was in vain. The dog stopped breathing and everyone felt it is dead. But they couldn't express it to the child as it was very much in love with the puppy. The intelligent father came out with an idea.
He called the child and told, "My dear daughter, The puppy was seen by god and he also loved it very much. that is the reason why the puppy died and reached the god. But now let us send it near god with full respect. let us arrange a very grand funeral for the puppy. Let us make a beautiful coffin box, then fix it over a wheel, tie it to our car and let us take it in procession and bury it in the nearby graveyard. "
Saying so the father asked the daughter to make one beautiful coffin. The daughter's attention turned from the puppy towards making the coffin. she brought cardboards, color papers, flowers and with full passion she built a beautiful coffin. Father told the child that let us take the procession by afternoon 3 0 click and the child was eagerly waiting for three to carry out the procession.
During that time a miracle happened. The puppy which was assumed to be dead, slowly started to breathe and painfully opened its eyes. seeing it the father was very happy. He called his daughter and told " Look my child God heard your prayers and now he has sent it back for you. It is turning out to be alive, let us treat it and save it"
The Daughter then asked the father "papa then what about my beautiful coffin, i prepared it with so much interest ?" Father told "let us throw it away now as the dog is alive " The child got angry and told " No no dad, i have taken so much time in making the coffin, so let us kill the dog and take it for procession"
hearing these words the father was shocked. He felt very bad. He understood that in his attempt to convince her daughter he had drawn her concentration from caretaking and loving attitude to the passion of building a coffin. In the process the child had lost her love for the dog and started loving the coffin she had built.
It is the same experience that I felt with religion and God. I think Religions and culture were born to serve the mankind. It acted as a catalyst to boost the people who are in trouble. The main purpose of the religion was to convince the crying babies and motivate to do something to overcome the pains and miseries in life.
But over a period of time, Religion was no more meant to serve people but a wrong conception that people are meant to serve for religion came up. Like the coffin built by the child, a very strong and passionate religion and culture were built whose purpose was that it should survive no matter even it means taking the life of the dog. This type of experiences in life really changed me a lot. I always loved to eat in my Mom's plate but after my upanayanam I was asked to never even touch anything that is smelt by my mother. My brother and me use to share food and chats in the same plate but our upanayanam created a difference in us that we should not touch one's plate with another. However we did not obey those laws. Till recently when water is served during dinner, if achyutha my son drinks water in one tumbler then my othe son and my brother's son without any hezitation use to drink it in same tumbler. But after Upanayanam when we told them not to drink in other's tumbler we see war and fights on the dinner table between our children just because unknowingly one has drank in the tumbler meant for the other.
My too much religioustic and orthodox creates differences between humans. This was my experience in life. On an Ekadashi day, if any of my friend offers me a sweet with great love, I cannot outrightly reject it. I feel by doing so I am insulting his affection towards me. I personally feel our determination to stand by my religion has to shown in my actions and attitudes and not in merely the food I eat and the dress I wear. By Experience I have seen that starving on Ekadashi, or avoiding onion or not taking food in night are the principles which are very easy to follow. It's very easy for me to change my dress to a white dhoti and shalya and go to my temple but its very difficult for me to go to temple changing my temperment when I am angry.
Hence I personally feel for me religion means showing my sincere respect to my ancestors and my great grandfathers in whom generation I am lucky to be born. Rejecting something which my father has brought for me from hotel saying that I dont eat on monday's Is a greater insult I do to my religion. It is an immense level of selfishness. Just to fulfil my commitments I am hurting someone else feelings.
These things changed me a Lot. If required I can fast full day. I can stay without onion for months together I have no problem. But to keep up my religious diet, If I refuse to eat food offered by someone with love then I feel it is a shame to my religion. Hence I have now turned myself as a Nastik for outside world but internally I feel that I am a better Astika than before. Luckily My wife understands that and also my family. Hence I have no problem with the world even if they call me a Nastik
