Religion for dummies....

Dear Sujatha

Agree with the title in toto. Religion, as we know it today, is certainly for dummies and dumbos ! I can't believe some of the things that happen in the name of religion !
I think the best kind of religion is the one each of us discovers for herself after evaluating the various inputs she recieves from tradition, custom etc etc. Indoctrination leaves one either totally brainwashed or in total perplexity , with more unanswered questions than clarifications.
I am a non religious person, seeking my own enlightenment, but believing in the ever present, ever guiding companionship of a Divinity that is deeply personal and assimilative in character.
Children growing up in our land learn about religion and religious differences even if they are not indoctrinated at home, because Religion features at every turn of our society and life. There's no escaping it. But I am firm that my son will make his own choice about the path he wants to take. I merely guide him on the basics which are afterall the same in all religions of the world.
Great article, dear Sujatha.:thumbsup

 

Sujatha

Welcome to Indusladies! My pulse quickens whenever I discover a gem of a post like yours, especially from a relative newcomer. Your ideas are deep and profound, and you express them with clarity and sincerity.

One of the marks of a truly effective piece of writing is its ability to illuminate even if the reader does not necessarily share the point of view of the writer. I do appreciate your sharing your personal reflections and opinions so honestly with us. I hope to see more of the same from you.

 

Dear Sujatha,
A nice thought provoking write up. "Live and let live" "Love is God" and "God is love."
All religions lead to one and the only GOD.
No religion preaches violence.
Religious fanatics are only trying to divide the people through religion.
Politicians in India are using caste for vote bank benefits.
With love,
PS

 

Dear Sujatha,

This post is awesome!

Religion, God, Life and Death....Who is not baffled by these? Day in and day out, life throws challenges at us. Just as I think I realize what life is all about, I am instantly bogged down by my own ignorance and helplessness. Life always dishes out something beyond our comprehension and where do we look out for solutions...God! Often times we feel so forsaken by our belief and our so called trust in God Almighty. But then, we need Almighty for an anchor at our hour of distress, not that the distress goes away the instant we pray!!

So, maybe it is for our own selfish needs that we want religion. I am not questioning anyone's belief in religion and rituals. But if it is not for the greater good of humanity, I too do not see the need for religion. At the same time, I just accept my religion because I am born into it and it is easy to practice it the way I was thought, though not blindly. So I try to give it my own interpretations and use it in a way acceptable to me.

Like you, I did not thrust my children with any ritualistic practice of religion. But I know that they are good human beings and are compassionate.

Enjoyed reading the following lines from you and our other wise members:

Sujatha: "However she is here being raised by a mum who is in a perpetual crisis of faith and a dad who is a non-believer"....I can identify with this sentence!!

"So right now, it is my version of religion, built on kindness, selfless love, compassion and respect for human life that I am trying to instill in Madhu"....Once again, your daughter is lucky to have a mother like you!

Cheeniya: "Divinity is what you perceive as Divinity. It does not involve saying our prayers regularly or visiting temples on festive days. It is not the Mantra our lips chant but the thoughts our minds keep visiting"...This is really consoling!

"It is more important to lead a good, honest life than saying our prayers regularly. But having said that, I have realized now that our efforts to establish a bond with the Divine make that task easier. It is only in this context of establishing a bond with the Divine that religion makes sense!"....How true, I perfectly understand these lines

Padmini: "True religion is neither rules-based nor ritual-based. True religion is a relationship with God. Two things that all religions hold are that humanity is somehow separated from God and needs to be reconciled to Him"....I agree.

L, Kamla

 

Dear Sujatha,
Very well written post.. I am impressed. Beautiful post!!

 

Hello sujatha

I Agree with you and many others who have expressed their views here.
What is the use of long rituals if we donot have compassion , love and patience within us.

But to develop the above qualities, as cheeniya sir mentioned we follow some rituals to do pooja, read some books, like ramayana, gita and try to understand things in a better way. It is to more and more make our monkey like mind which generates thousands of thoughts and more on the -ve side to purify and control. Basically the rituals according to me are to divert the mind from unpleasant thoughts of jealousy, grudge , anger and so on.

So lets not stop at just following some rituals , going to temples, celebrating festivals or completely avoiding them. Lets go a step further and start questioning everything that we do in the name of religion.

These many bring out many interesting facts. Example of what iam saying is some of the Post on GITA verses posted by Chitvish Mam in Religion and spirituality section and also the posts on why do we do different things like lighting a lamp, namaskaram and so on.

In a nutshell what iam trying to say is there is too much of information that was not passed down to us clearly. Hence there is a huge gap.

Our inquiry into each thing will takes us to deeper levels and more closer to that divine.

regards
Shobha

 

Dear Sujatha,

Your write up reflect the true meaning of religion through “Religion for dummies....” and truly it’s delightful to read such an impressive and articulate piece of writing.:thumbsup