OF TRUST AND FAITH!

Superstition and blind faith play a very important role in our life. Often these affect our life without our even knowing about it.

Superstitions are based on beliefs. A belief is that which we follow without question. 

In India one often finds little babies with black tikka somewhere on their face. This black tikka is to ward off the evil eye of all those who look at the baby. I feel quite sad to think that we apprehend that some friend, relative or well wisher could have an evil eye which could harm our little baby. 

Well, that was just an aside, which has some part to play in the story that I want to tell you today. This story is about an intelligent person  who believes that he is very rational and does not believe in superstion or blind faith.

Once upon a time in the land of the five rivers of India, lived a prosperous cloth merchant. He had five sons. One of them got good education and as was the practice in those days, joined Government Service in British India. Soon he was transferred to the capital of India and moved to Delhi with his wife and daughter. As everything appeared to be  good, one would presume that they should have been a happy family. They had everything that a person needs to be happy, except for the fact that they did not have a son.

We have to remember that in India it is imperative that a son must be born in a household otherwise the ancestors would have a lot of discomfort as there would be no body to offer food and water to their souls by way of annual rituals performed which are called "Shhradh".

This young couple were educated people and quite forward looking and modern in their outlook. Yet not having a son was always their eternal cause of anxiety and sorrow. Soon a son was born in the household. Then the next child too was a son. A succession of daughters also followed.It was a large, prosperous and happy family.

As chance would have it, sadly both the sons died mysteriously. It was believed by the mother of the sons that someone had poisoned one of her sons and also that the evil eye had been cast on her sons. 

Once again sorrow and  desperation started living in their house, as tragedy had befallen twice, and the much coveted sons did not survive.

The Lady of the house kept as many fasts as she was advised to. She went on pilgrimage to every place that she could think of. She even trudged upto the Amarnath cave, in those days when the path leading to the Cave was not well maintained. It was a very treacherous climb, but faith moveth mountains, so this mountain moved the Lady in question.

Once on top of the Amarnath cave, for once the lord and master of the house put his foot down and told the lady not to promise that they would return to Amarnath if their boon was granted and their wish was fulfilled.

They had already promised the residing deities at Amritsar, Vaishno Devi and many others that they would return and give more offerings if and when a son was born in their family.

Perhaps collective prayer to so many Gods and Godesses had their effect and soon a son was born in this house. There was great rejoicing and celebrations in this household. The son was welcomed with a lot of pomp and show. 

Because of the fear of evil eye this boy was given only old clothes to wear, for one full year.

The family astrologer was consulted and all papers connected with janm kundli, tehwa, and horoscope forecasting the future of the boy was calculated and prepared.

Everything in the horoscope  was good, the future was bright, the boy would live and do well for himself and fulfill all his obligations and duties. His ancestors would rest in peace and would be well fed for ever and ever after.

There was just one thing predicted, which was an issue of anxiety. The boy was to meet a stranger in the train. That stranger was this boy's enemy from a previous birth. The stranger was going to take revenge  in this birth.

This story was put in the cold storage and for all practical purposes was forgotten by everyone.

Time passed and the boy grew up. As it was written in the stars, this boy met a person on the train, whom he befriended. The friendship looked healthy and both were comfortable with each other.

Yet there was something between them which did not allow happiness to last for too long. There were more downs than ups. Life started to become bitter. There were too many frictions, arguments and insults were hurled at each other vociferously and regularly.

The friend B could never understand why their great friendship always had this twinge of sadness, distrust and arguments. Until one day the story of the horoscope was told to him.

The whole picture became clear and the friend B could understand what the real problem was.

This friend A had grown up knowing that he would one day meet someone on the train who was going to wreck havoc in his life. When this prophecy came true and A actually met a stranger on the train, whom he befriended  the story that had been lying dormant in his memory raised its head without being intrusive.
To ensure that the train friend  would not cause any problem, A started being on the offensive and created as many problems as he could to make life insufferable for friend B. A had made it his habit to rebut everything that B suggested. It had become his stance to always throw back each and every suggestion made by friend B.
A  would seek advice about each and everything from Friend B. He would make an effort to show that he was listening and also that he valued the advise of B. Perhaps consciously he did believe that he valued the advise of B. Yet after taking the advise, A would invariably take an absolutely opposite stance. B being unaware of the reason for this kind of mistrusting attitude and behavior, could not fathom out this  distrust and offensive action. 

It was a sad tale of mistrust. A had himself made his own life miserable. He could never trust, had no faith and questioned each and every action of B. A had become a victim of the superstition and story told to him in his childhood. This stupid tale of rebirth and someone taking revenge in this birth had taken its toll. Poor A had become a victim of a sordid story told by some godman, who obviously did this to earn a living off gullible people who would give donations, perform Pujas with dakshina and propitiate the Gods to ensure that the ills that were foretold were warded off.

Sadly, A did not even know that this story was the cause of his mistrust and suspicious nature which never allowed him to trust anyone. All his actions had been performed without malice. Perhaps his sub conscious mind with the memory of this prophecy had taken charge of his behavior to ensure that no harm befell A. 

That is how superstition, blind faith destroys innocent lives without the people even knowing what actually hit them. Stories told in childhood usually have a lasting impression upon the psyche of all people. 
A rational person is one who questions everything including his own behavior. He takes conscious decisions and controls his own life pattern and behavior. He takes charge of his own life and takes corrective action to ensure the happiness of all, himself included.
As Buddha had said, we are responsible for our own happiness. He had said peace can be attained by our own self. We are responsible for our own thoughts and our thoughts shape our destiny.

THINK AND QUESTION.

IT IS ALL TRANSITORY

We all have grown up with a lot of beliefs ingrained in us. Most of us blindly follow what our parents tell us. There are a lot of good teachings but there are also a lot of teachings which make us follow certain rituals without understanding how that ritual can help us. We nevertheless follow them.

In India we are taught to be obedient and not to question parents, as parents know best. What the parents know is also what they have simply been told to obey without question. This indoctrination of thought and belief keeps getting propagated from one generation to the next without thought and reasoning. 

One such ritual is connected with the ceremonies that are performed after the death of a person. It is believed that this world is a mithya. It is illusionary. We therefore live a life devoted to have a better life in the next birth. We do not live this life, but only plan for the next life. In this process we are neither here nor there.

Life and time passes us by and in the illusionary hope of a life which we do not know anything about we perform rituals, prayers and sacrifices for the future which will be ours after death.

No wonder death itself is considered a passing away. Passing away to where?

Isn't death a finale? Don't we finish our journey on this planet earth and die just like every other living being?

We have intelligence, we can think, question, understand and evolve into better human beings. Do we? No, we blindly believe in theories given to us by our fore fathers. Were they really so wise? Even if they were, can there be no further improvement on a thought? Can we not try to refine our thinking? 

It is believed that a son is required to take forward the name of the family. To propagate the name of the dynasty. 

Accordingly, when a man dies his son performs the cremation tasks. He also performs tasks connected with Shradh. The son donates a cow, he donates clothes, feeds Brahmins, and performs a lot of Puja at the ghats of the river. The food and clothes given as dakshina or donation to the Brahmin is supposed to  go straight to heaven to help the departed father. The cow that is donated helps the father cross the river Vaitarni. The father catches the tail of the cow and crosses the river. 

During his lifetime also the father would have performed enough Pujas and rituals to ensure a good life after death. Is it necessary to perform so many rituals after his death once again to ensure this?

Why can we not question these rituals? Is it because they are connected with death? When a family member dies people are at their worst time emotionally. They are upset, sad and distressed. This is the easiest time to exploit their emotions. In the name of ensuring the happiness of the dear departed, some unscrupulous class of people make easy money. The gullible, distraught family members simply follow ritual after ritual, never once stopping to question the need for those rituals.

It is believed that every person has a rebirth. People even try to find out where his father has been reborn and in which form. Now if the person has already been reborn then who are we donating the clothes,and food for?

If he is not reborn and is finally dead then who is going to eat and clothe himself, because his body has been consigned to the flames?

Every year again an annual Shradh is performed, where donations are given, Brahmins are fed, clothes are donated. Why? For whom?

At least for once please think and question these rituals.

Who is exploiting and hitting gullible sad people when they are distraught with sorrow?

FALGU RIVER AT GAYA-SHRADH PERFORMERS

COLLECTION OF MEMORABLIA

Stones with lichen!

As I walked along the Cornwall beach, last August, I was fascinated by the beautiful stones all over the place. I wanted to collect as many as I could. They were green, blue, grey, white, black, pink, striped, jagged, rough as well as smooth stones. Each one was a genuine work of art, crafted by the beautiful waves which keep coming on shore and then beating a hasty retreat.

I kept collecting the stones and brought them back home. Once back at home, other mundane affairs took hold of me and those beautiful displaced stones kept lying in some lost bag, in some corner of my house.

I have many such bags strewn all around my house. Some bags have trinkets; some have handicraft items, innumerable table cloths, lace articles, numerous umbrellas and hand fans, magnets, shot glasses and plates.

One day I think, I will find time to sort out my stuff, and then I will display all of them properly.



Beautiful stones!

I do display a lot of stuff in my house, but then a lot of stuff still keeps lying somewhere forgotten.

I now realize that a day will soon come when I will have too much to sort and not enough energy to clear those cobwebs and sort out all my items.

Why do I then want to keep collecting? Why do I simply love to decorate my house?

One day I will leave this house. What will happen to all those articles collected by me?

The people who acquire my house will not know what to do with all that I collected with so much love and care and sifting.

Why do I then keep collecting?

I love a beautiful home. I love to decorate my home. I love to live in beautiful surroundings. What after I do not live anymore?

I wish I had left the stones where they belonged.

What about the handicrafts? It was made so carefully by someone, so lovingly and painstakingly. I can't wish to return those works of art.

Why do I accumulate so much?

Stones with life!

Maybe because I love beauty and want to live a beautiful life surrounded by beautiful things! But then in my collection also are a lot of memories. Memories of happiness, innocence, beauty and joy!!
I wish that those who acquire my house inherit all that happiness, and joy and innocence and beauty!

AS THE YEAR ENDS!

When things are good we don't realise that nothing comes free in this world. Even the breath that we inhale needs us to exhale. If we do not give but only take then we only spoil goodwill and create imbalance. It is very easy to hurt someone, to cause misunderstandings, and to build up reservoirs of resentment which lead to a lot of strained relationships.

One keeps harbouring ill feelings and building up barriers. We seldom talk and clear misunderstandings. Our own thoughts keep on putting up one barrier after another, until we completely move very far away from some people, without there actually being any real reason for building up that barrier. One has to actually forgive and forget. Not forgiving a person for something that may be a misunderstanding,  keeps on hurting us forever, as we keep reminding ourselves of that hurt. We are the ones who harm our own self. The power to attain happiness and move on in life is within our own self. No one hurts me, no one harms me, it is I alone who is responsible. If I clear that misunderstanding within my own self, I will move on free of that burden of pain, and misery.  We have the power to brood over sad thoughts or move on. Moving on is best because a rolling stone gathers no moss!

Dwelling on the past makes us revisit the same old street of pain.  Old hurts need time to heal. Even if a scar remains, at least the hurt has gone.

Forgive and forget is a maxim which has immense depth. It opens up large vistas of freedom from suffering, pain and resentment. I remember the words of my father, who was a great forgiver. He always said "forgive them, because they are ignorant". Then I always used to argue with him, and say why should you forgive? If someone has harmed you, there is no need to forgive that person. Dad would not argue with me but would leave me with that thought. Now, I realise that it is magnanimous to forgive, and we human beings, have great capacity to do what we wish to do. Faith moveth mountains! Have faith in your own self and sure enough you will be able to move that mountain of hatred, venom, grudge, fear and feeling of inadequacy and failure from yourself.

Once free of these incapacitating feelings, one can always find a place of sunshine, happiness and enjoy life, as it is meant to be enjoyed.

SOME CONSTANTS AND SOME FACADES!

The sun comes out every day, bright and beautiful,

The moon is always there cool and calm,

These are a few things which are constants in life.

It is only us mortals who are not permanent.

We live for a short while, some leave a mark on the world,

Others leave a mark on their loved ones,

some simply vanish as fast as they came.

Some hate every moment of their life,

Some savour every minute,

Some have nothing but anger in their hearts,

Some look at the brighter side of life come what may,

Others can see nothing but sorrow in every breath that they take.

Fate, kismat, karma, everything is blamed

The sun, the moon, stars are never thanked for making life beautiful.

The smile of innocence,

The sweetness of a shy stolen glance,

That touch of reassurance,

The fears of being alone, The fear of darkness, the fear of shadows,

The love that children have for their own, good, bad or ugly,

A little child's patient wait for the return of her comforting mother,

The tenderness of the father,

These are moments of joy, these are moments of trust, faith and belief,

When and where do we leave that trusting, belief behind?

When does life become one big never ending journey of doubt, impatience and unhappiness?

FAITH AND EXPLOITATION

THE BANKE BIHARI TEMPLE

Recently I went to Agra and en route we stopped at Vrindavan. Vrindavan was the place where according to legend Krishna spent his youth, in the Dwapar yug. This was the place famous for the Raas Leela. The place is today dotted with temples. Before reaching the parking lot one is stopped with a lot of authority by local pandas. They stop you and offer their services at a small cost. They offer to take you  by the VIP route, and get  darshan of the deity. We spurned off all such offers and took rickshaws to Banke Bihari temple. This is supposed to be the oldest temple in the area. The path was full of people, cattle and rickshaws. On reaching the temple through a decrepit galli, we were asked to remove our shoes. All over the place one could see immense piles of shoes here, there and everywhere. People were walking over the shoes, which were getting thrown in every direction. We managed to locate the proper place marked for keeping shoes and were literally pushed inside the temple by the huge inflow of pilgrims. I did not have to lift my feet at all, I was just pushed in. It was quite scary, as I was trying hard to find a foothold on the floor.

LAMPS LIT IN  THE TEMPLE

Photography was not allowed. The place seemed quite dark; in fact the sanctum was so dark that one could not see the deity at all. There was no arrangement for giving your offering and a lot of people simply threw their flowers etc in the direction of the deity. After that one was simply pushed out by the huge crowd!

I wonder why there is this utter disregard for all those pilgrims who come from long distances to see their idol, pray and get some solace. I am also amazed by the total acceptance of this treatment by the people. No one expects anything more. No one thinks that it could be better managed and the place could be maintained clean. There could be more control of touts who should not be allowed to harass the huge mass of humanity who come here.

It is simply our acceptance of fate that allows a few to take advantage of the voiceless many.

People come with so much faith, yet the pandas do not allow them to look inside and get a proper darshan(view) of the deities.

Vrindavan is also the place where a lot of widows reside. Those who have been thrown out of their homes have traditionally been finding refuge here. 

OFFERINGS FOR THE GODS

What is it then that makes people repeatedly visit these places of pilgrimage?

These places have got into the hands of the pandas who totally exploit the gullibility of the masses.

It has become one huge money making racket. Religion and faith are two weapons in the hands of these Pandas. I sometimes wonder if the biggest atheists are actually all these priests who pose as Pandas! They exploit and do not fear the wrath of the so called God!

MY INCREDIBLE INDIA

School in my village

Incredible India, Beautiful India, God's own Country, Glorious, Amazing, Bewitching, all those lovely adjectives that can be added before "India" are added and we feel so very elated, because it is ours. We belong to this fascinating land. "I am an Indian," I proudly declare.

What lies beneath this thin veneer is almost never seen by us. Us- the people who can read, write and understand. We, who can vote, understand democracy, judiciary, apartheid, communalism, bias, discrimination, colour, race, caste. It is we who refuse to see what constitutes this beautiful, incredible India.

While going in my car to work, or a movie, a party, shopping, visiting, I come across little girls performing acrobatics at the busy road crossings. There are little boys with pencilled moustaches trying to appear like caricatures of grown ups, beating the drum to the accompaniment of which those little girls perform. They perform and run between cars trying to catch whatever we people shell out for that performance. Has it ever struck anyone how many times they risk their lives for a little bit of money to fill their own and perhaps their parents belly? Those little children are hardly three to five years old. Then we loftily talk of child labour??

In my country life is very cheap. There is so much poverty, so little to eat, no house to sleep in and no safe drinking water. What is the safety and security that can be provided to these children? They live their whole lives on the streets!

We do not wish to accept that there is any discrimination. If only we open our eyes and see the discrimination that is practiced everyday in front of our eyes, we will be totally stumped.

How is a woman treated in her own house? I have seen umpteen jokes being passed around which are totally derogatory and in very poor taste. They usually talk about how stupid women are. They are labelled as blond jokes-WHY? Are half the population of the world deserving of such ridicule? Can we not have any regard, and respect for those women who are our mothers, sisters, and daughters? If not yours, they are surely someone else's mother, sister and daughter. Why circulation of those nude titillating pictures? Why? Is that not abject poverty of thought? Is this not discrimination?

We discriminate on the basis of religion, and caste. A Scheduled caste person is never considered meritorious. Even if that person is the topper of a University. When that person gets a job purely on merit, it is said, 'Oh, so and so only made it due to the Reservation policy'. This stigma remains forever.

A Muslim born and brought up in India where his forefathers have lived for generations, is still always looked at with suspicion. How often have we heard it said of them, Why don't they go away to Pakistan? Why should such a thought cross our minds? They have as much right to this land as I of another Religion have. We were born to parents who professed a particular religion. We remain with it without giving it a second thought. Very few people actually convert to a Religion of their choice. Why then should there be discrimination based on Religion? It is simply that we happened to be born into that religion. Why does Religion teach to hate? Why all this talk and revival of talk of The Taj being a Hindu Temple? In fact of every monument in India being originally belonging to the Hindus. The pattern, architecture, age seems to elude the reasoning of most people. Even if we accept that all Muslim shrines are built on earlier Hindu temples, the question is what was the temple built on? Before the revival of Hinduism the Religion which flourished in India was Buddhism. Were these temples then built on Buddhist temples? Was not Varanasi developed to overshadow the great Sarnath-where Buddha preached his first sermon?Has the Buddhist temple at Bodhgaya not been usurped by the Hindus? In fact has Buddha himself not been snatched into the Hindu fold by calling him as the 9th incarnation of Vishnu?

Poverty is so rampant in this vast land that it pains to see the real picture of India. We were appalled to see the real side of childhood and slums shown in the movie Slum dog Millionaire. Do we not know that it really exists? We only wish to turn a blind eye and look cosily at that lovely poster of Kashmir and Kanya kumari and say, "Oh how beautiful is my land". How about all those who inhabit that land. Those who have to struggle for a single square meal, who have to Queue up for hours to use the public toilet facilities, or to fill drinking water. Running after buses which never stop on the Stop line. People with disability, get no help. Travelling in public transport is an impossible thought.

Poverty, illiteracy, hunger, undernourished children, malnutrition, rampant dishonesty are our traits. Those are what we cover, what we refuse to see. We only look at the facade and care not for the vast majority of this land. They all have a right to thais land, to the produce of this land. They belong here and we are not sharing what they should get. A handful have enough and more than enough to throw left, right and centre.

I feel disturbed when I hear people like Baba Ramdev talking of an Akhand Bharat and a Hindu Rashtra. What are they trying to preach? Can we erase the past? Can we simply wipe out hundreds of years of being subjugated to external powers who have actually made a difference to us. Why can we not accept that we were ruled as we were not capable of ruling. Outsiders came, conquered and ruled. Are the original inhabitants of India not to be blamed for not being able to defend themselves against foreign powers? Anyone who conquers will surely influence the country which it subjugates. We have imbibed a lot from the culture that came in. We have benifitted by the architecture, language, literature, art, music. It has all amalgamated and all of us of all caste and religion form this India.

When we are proud to declare that we are Indians please remember all those others who are also Indians and suffer silently, as they do not have the means or strength to protest.

Do your bit, please think about the street children, that ill treated person in your own home, your domestic help or your own old relatives. 

Be proud to be Indian but also help others also be proud of their own India!!