Religion on my musings

The Baba Bashing

Harshal Suryawanshi — Sat, 26 Aug 2017 13:56:00 +0000

The ‘babas’ and ‘imams’ and ‘priests’ who call themselves the incarnations of God or claim to speak His word, I always ignore them. The things they speak ring hollow in my ears. My brain is a pretty standard one and it doesn’t like complicated things and elaborate ’truths’. It always tries to find a simpler explanation and that’s why I just try to be a better person. That is enough for me rather than devoting myself to someone to feel closer to God. Being a better person is a huge task in itself, which will never be complete in one’s lifetime. No matter which God you believe in or whether you believe in the concept of God in the first place, you still will be making a positive change just by keeping your moral compass pointing in the right direction. So whenever news of such pretenders getting booked for some crime appear in my news feed I just scroll on. After all someday they have to face the music. You can’t fool everyone all the time.

But then you get up in morning and you read the news of followers of these pretenders attacking the public places, railway stations, news crew, police and whatever they can lay their eyes on. Then you can’t ignore these pretenders and their power and influence. A flash of anger goes through my brain, reading about the brazenness of these followers, their utter disregard for the law, property and people and more importantly the reason for their rampage. But the anger lasts only for a second, after that I just feel sad…sad about the fact that these people are so angry about the perceived offence to their ‘God’ that they become blind to the God among the people that they are beating up. They fail to see the God in the crying child caught up in this environment filled with violence. They even don’t recognise the God that resides in the rape victim who got justice when the court convicted the pretender.

One can argue that they believe that the court has delivered a wrong decision and that the pretender is innocent. But the court has no vested interest in declaring the pretender guilty. It has given its decision based on the proof and testimonies presented to it. And as we know the Indian justice system will mostly err on the side of caution. If there is a doubt about whether the accused is guilty or not he will almost always walk free. And even if you believe that you are wronged by the lower court you go the higher court. But the violence perpetuated due to your belief is not justifiable under any circumstance. What kind of a belief system is this where you are blind to everything else except your Godman. I can understand that people want to feel close to God, serve Him in some way. But then do exactly that. Why do you need these Godmen, these pretenders to feel close to God? You have your scriptures, you have your holy books, go and read them. at least you will learn more about your religion, your God. You want to serve God, serve the people in need instead of serving at the feet of these crooks.

One source of this problem that I can see is that in this fast world we want instant results. Who is going to come home from work and read those big religious volumes. It’s better to buy a 10000 rs ticket to get a darshan of xyz baba and tell him our problem. He will suggest a simple solution to go to xyz shrine or ask to eat rasagulla everyday for a month. It’s an instant solution to the problem. By some co-incidence if the said solution really makes a difference people start to blindly trust the words coming out of the baba’s mouth. No matter how learned you are, people will keep their brains locked somewhere deep in darkness, and follow the idiotic things that the baba says. They will sway to the chants in the gathering, they will flock to theatres to watch his movie no matter whether it makes sense or not and finally if the need arises they will take weapons in their hands to protect the honour of their ‘God’. Anyway no one has said that rational thinking and education must go hand in hand. We might be top engineers and executives, but when it comes to these babas, we are no more rational than a chimpanzee. More than anger at these pretenders commanding such power by exploiting the sentiments of people, I feel saddened and pity for the people who have become followers of these stupid people. It’s not that these babas are very intelligent or they are master strategists to influence masses, but it’s just that people behave idiotically when it comes to matters of faith. That is why some clerics and mullahs are able to convince muslim youth to go wage jihad against the infidels, that is why a decision against the Dera Sacha Sauda leader Gurmeet Ram Rahim leads to death of 31 people, that’s why when police come to arrest Asaram Bapu they face a wall of people ready to die for him.

Stating problems and discussing them is an easy thing to do. But finding the solution is the real ‘problem’. In this case, I think it’s not that complicated. All we have to do is think rationally, whatever is being said by anyone try to weigh it on the scale of rationality. Yes things pertaining to religion, faith and God are usually thousands of years old but if a thing is good and true it will always pass the test of rationality even in the present times. I am not a very religious person nor am I an expert in religious studies or any other subject for that matter. But no matter which religion you follow or which God you believe in, I am sure that the ultimate goal of all of them is to make you a better human being. But hey don’t just blindly read this and agree/disagree with it, otherwise I am no better than those idiots who fool people…

In Search of Serenity

Harshal Suryawanshi — Wed, 06 Jan 2016 12:56:00 +0000

In my last blog post I spoke about my growing appreciation of history. I also spoke about the relation that history and geography have which is very evident in India. India’s history usually starts with the Indus Valley civilization (accurately called as the Indus-Sarasvati Civilization). Then it transitions to the emergence and spread of Hinduism. I had already read about this in my school History textbooks. But when I was getting reacquainted with history with a new perspective I realized that I know so little about my own religion. And since a large part of India’s history deals with the rise of the Hindu religion, its evolution, the good and the bad elements that crept in, its political nature and so on, I felt that I should start reading about my own religion and get to know it better. Hinduism is a very complex religion to get to know. The sheer school of thoughts that range from one extreme to another and still coexist relatively peacefully makes it hard to study Hinduism. If you want to start knowing Hinduism where do you start?

In my efforts to understand Hinduism I started reading books that were suggested by friends and on the Internet and the ones that caught my eye. I was more curious about the process of evolution of a religion in general and Hinduism in particular. I also read about the evolution of other religions, some books that are banned in India because of their ‘different’ take on Hinduism. I am still reading and I think that the process is going to last for a lifetime. Anyways the subject of this post is related to one of the books that I read during my quest. It is ‘India - A Sacred Geography’ by Diana L. Eck. This book speaks about the tradition of pilgrimage in India which is as old as the Hindu religion itself. It shows the awareness of the Indians towards a shared homeland, a shared geography, which they all belonged to. Though India has different regions which are culturally, linguistically different, you can find a Marvadi dharamshala in Rameshwaram or a Bengali Guest House in Gaya. The common people for centuries traveled the age old pilgrimage circuits which encompass all of India and bound this country in their conscience as a single entity.

Anyways in the last two years I have got a chance to travel a bit and explore my country. When I was in South, some of us in TCS had planned a trip to Rameshwaram and Madurai. I was excited to visit Rameshwaram because of two things - first the railway bridge on the sea near Pamban and second visiting one of the ‘char dhams’.

The journey was exciting, and I enjoyed the view when the train was travelling on the sea bridge. My hopes were high after this and soon we reached Rameshwaram temple. We were asked to first take a dip in the ocean before entering the temple. When we arrived at the ghat, we could see the people taking the dip in the water polluted to a degree that it appeared completely black. The street leading to the ghat was littered with garbage. Just seeing the surroundings I was disgusted. This was supposed to be one of the holiest places of worship in India. The mental image that I had conjured was one of a clean and peaceful surrounding. So the dirty streets and the pandemonium of the crowd was a rude shock. I just wanted to get over with the dip and then enter the temple in hope that I will feel better there. After taking the dip, depositing our belongings and phones we proceeded to enter the temple. Once inside, we were bathed in the water from 12 kunds which had appeared when Rama’a arrows pierced the ground at Rameshwaram. This bath was a relief as it washed away the feeling of disgust. Now we were arriving at the climax of our journey in the temple complex. There was a long line of devotees waiting to get the darshan of the Shiva Linga in the inner sanctum. We too joined the throng of the devotees. The line progressed at a brisk speed. The pushing and frenzy of the crowd increased as we neared the sanctum. Now, I am not a very religious person, but I was curious to see the source of the longing of all these people. So when my turn arrived I peered in the darkness of the sanctum to lay my eyes on the Shiva Linga. The sanctum was glowing in the yellow light of the oil lamps. The linga was shrouded in garlands and I was craning my neck to see through them. Just when I felt that I was beginning to see in the darkness I was whisked away by the pujaris and the onslaught of the devotees. I felt disappointed for a while but it was OK. I was there to experience the atmosphere rather than seeing the idol. So we found an empty spot and just sat there observing the crowds that were pouring in. I saw people getting in with pooja thalis, muttering incantations and mantras, babies crying, mothers consoling them, everyone focused on the sanctum, trying to get the darshan of their beloved God. Such was their determination, that people around them mattered no more. They were indifferent to the crying babies, pushing the mothers and women forward in their haste. Seeing this I wondered what is of such a great importance there in the sanctum that people have no regard for other people. I am not questioning the devotion or beliefs of the crowd but was it worth so much that you ignore your humanity.

Majority of the people coming to major pilgrimage sites in India are driven by material motives. It’s the want of things, the fulfilment of their wishes or the gratitude they need to express because their wishes were delivered. For some it’s a tradition to visit these temples. But how many people come to experience the spiritual environment that these temples provide? Temples ought to be places where one can connect to God, but our greed and want has turned them into a chaotic bazaar where people expect to get their wishes granted and offer things in return. We have become so material oriented that being in the presence of God is not enough for us. I myself am not clear on what God is or whether I believe in the concept. So saying that temple is a place of God feels weird. But if you visit a temple when there’s no rush, just sit there in the premises doing nothing, you feel a silence that soothes you, comforts you. At that moment you tend to forget yourself and that makes you realise that you are not the centre of the universe. That there are many great things out there which are more important, more beautiful, more precious and that you are just a figment. That feeling is what I have come close to describing God. Losing yourself and submitting to the collective consciousness of the universe or the nothingness. I just feel that people should at least keep this in their mind when they visit temples and try to stop for a moment and take notice of the things around them. I don’t know how people expect good grace from God when they cannot even move an inch in their seats to accommodate a stranded passenger in the train while they are on their way to visit Shirdi. Kindness, compassion, love and brotherhood are the most valued offerings that can be offered to the God. You don’t need to give away gold ornaments at the temples, you just have to make sure that you don’t throw the garbage carelessly around the premises. If we want our temples to remain as centres of spiritual experience, we have to ensure that they are clean, remain disciplined and have good intensions in our hearts. That’s it, that’s all we need.

I would like to point two contrasts that I experienced during my journey. When I was in Kolkata I visited the Belur Math. It is a math established by the Ramakrishna Mission. Ramakrishna Mission was established by Swami Vivekananda which he named after his guru Ramakrishna Paramhansa. In the math there is an idol of Ramakrishna Paramhansa and a large open space in front of the idol. When I reached there a few people were sitting there in utter silence. Some noiselessly chanting a mantra, some just sitting there with their eyes either open or closed. Now Ramakrishna Paramhansa wasn’t a God, but his deeds make him worthy of our respect and devotion. The silence that pervaded the atmosphere in the midst of all those people there was a very novel experience for me. I too sat there in silence for nearly 20 mins and when I came out I just wanted to maintain that state of silence and peace for as long as possible. Sitting outside the math and watching the Hooghly river I wondered why can’t our temples be like this. That’s why I decided to write all my thoughts down here. After Kolkata I visited Amarkantak in MP. Amarkantak is where the rivers Narmada and Son originate. The Narmada kund which is where Narmada river starts has a temple complex. The complex isn’t very big and is very nice and one of the quieter temples that I have visited recently. Going downstream I saw people taking a hold dip in the river. There were many sign boards telling the pilgrims not to use soap and oil while bathing. But after their holy dip and ‘cleansing’ themselves of their sins, people wanted to cleanse their bodies thoroughly too. So paying no heed to the sign post they used soaps and shampoos and polluted the very river that they worship. Further downstream, the river gets abused in more dirtier ways. Human excrement litters the river bed within 10km from the source, where the river is nothing but a small stream. While walking downstream in a more remote place along the river, I saw youngsters who were on a trip defecating in the water itself. Just 10 km from the source the river which millions of people worship and depend on for their household water supply is getting such a treatment. People have no right to worship the river if they don’t know how to respect it. They just don’t realise their wrongdoings. A person from Bihar(just an example) thinks that polluting this river doesn’t affect him since Narmada doesn’t flow from there. When are we going to realise that thinking in this manner is just wrong. We shouldn’t do wrong things, period. It’s not going to affect me, it’s my money, no harm no foul etc. etc. arguments just don’t matter.

Swami Vivekananda believed that for Indians to realize the glory of their religion, they must first be uplifted from poverty. Only when a person has his basic needs fulfilled can he find the time and will to ponder on religion. Today majority of people who visit pilgrimage sites have all that and some more yet we see that they are more irresponsible and disrespecting than the previous generation. Even if you don’t believe in religion, God, you at least (I hope) have the common sense of not polluting the river, not littering the temples. It’s time that our generation rises up to the occasion and takes the mantle of restoring our heritage, our temples, our holy place to their spiritual glory.

Let them be a place of knowledge and realization
Let them be a place which connects us with our civilization
Let them be a place where we find things that we miss
Let them be a place where one can find serenity and peace