Religion, they say, has killed more people than all wars put together. Irrespective of whether this statement is accurate or not, one has to admit that organised religion has caused at least as many problems as it has solved ; and if it takes the credit of having saved many souls, the blame of a large number of deaths also lies at its door. Ironically, the word ‘religion’ is said to have roots in the Latin word ‘religare’ which means ‘to bind again’. The very reason man developed something called religion was to bind all his fellow-men by a common thread – God. What turned out was quite different however. Religion instead, formed the basis for turning man against man and for fighting on behalf of their respective gods. We consider God to be omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent but rush to pick up cudgels on His behalf. Is this all-powerful God not capable of taking care of Himself? The Rig Veda says –“Ekam Sadvipra bahudha vadanti” meaning ‘There is one truth, sages call it by different names.’ In the Old Testament when Moses asked God his name, the reply was “I am who I am”. So the Supreme Power pervading the universe has no name. But since ancient times, man has foolishly fought over the different names and forms which he has attributed to this Being. Leave aside history; we are committing the same mistake even now. We usually classify people on the basis of religion. We absurdly feel –“My religion is the best”, “my God” is better than yours or “my God” is the only God. We are quick to point out the shortcomings of other religions but not interested in reforming our own. We look down on people of other religions denouncing them as pagans, ‘kafir’, ‘mlechcha’ and so on. Many laws laid down in texts of various religions are archaic. They were probably suited for the times when the religion came into being and are not relevant today. Yet we wish to cling on to them and fight for them. Instead of doing our utmost to contribute positively to society, to meet the basic needs of the deprived, we would rather waste valuable time putting down other … [Read more...]
What Hindu devotees should do?
Hinduism is a comprehensive name, to embrace the innumerable subdivisions of the religious sects, which though centered on an infinite diversity of Gods and Goddesses and have nevertheless a common characteristic at the base, namely, recognition of the Vedas as the absolute authority. In consonance with this, the Hindu temple expresses the peculiar character of the ethos of the Vedas. The temple is conceived to be the personal dwelling place of the God who lives there as the Lord of the universe. The temples are the places, where every Hindu has to do his “Puja” (worship) to the divine (his beloved God). One famous dictum is that “one should not live in a place (town), where there is no temple”. The function of the devotees is to respect and honor the Lord as the absolute Master, to wake Him with devotional music and songs early in the morning, to perform ablutions and offer puja (worship) and naivedyam (sacred food) to Him; and then to receive back the offerings from Him, as His infinite grace. In Hindu India, life and religion are so mixed up that it is difficult to separate them. The Vedas, the Puranas, which are the records of the ancient history in India, interspersed with religious matters, are the important sacred books of the Hindus. It was the practice in ancient days for learned scholars, to read out these works to ordinary people and explain their meaning. 9 aspects of piety are enjoined upon all Hindus as part of their Dharma (devotional duty) which every Hindu has to perform, are given below: 1. Satsanga (association with the virtuous) 2. Dhayana (meditation) 3. Iswarabhakti (devotion of God) 4. Bhaktaseva (serving the devotees of God) 5. Japa (constant repetition of the God’s name) 6. Guru Puja (worship of the preceptors) 7. Harikatha (recitation of sacred hymns and songs) 8. Loka Kalyana (wishing welfare of all the creation of God) 9. Tirtha Yatra (pilgrimage to holy places). Keep it in mind always that “worship of Gods in temples purifies the heart, controls the passions and enable the … [Read more...]
