What Religion do to us?

What is God?

Is the Nature god because we are all children of Nature?

If we must worship the god, it’s in the form of worshiping Nature, the way our ancestors did in ancient times.

If worshiping God in humans, scriptures, buildings and symbols then shouldn't we understand their meaning first and accordingly grasp the teachings and values of them rather than worshiping them blindly?

Religion gives food to the needy but fear to the greedy. Religion is a support to a person in despair and gives an excuse to corrupt to play fair.

It is a win-win situation to both. To lesson his burden of unaccounted wealth, a pittance of that is distributed in the name of religion.

What is wrong?  Nothing.

A hungry mouth gets his loaf and thanks God. That giving hand shares in hope of cleansing his sins and unburdens his load.

It’s a win-win situation for both. The society benefits. Everyone benefits.

What gets wrong is the way fear is created.

I was born in a family which was god fearing and its circumstances kept it tied to its beliefs.

I was an exception.

Poking my nose in all that godly affair. I happened to do all fasting and worshiping on those special god days because it meant extra yummy goodies and feasting, and how could I forget that special treatment of being a religious kid in a big family.

What does religion do to us?

I asked this question to myself many times, on many occasions, on many contexts.

I could ask this question to me only, because whenever I posed this question on others; I got one reply more or less the same – God made us and we must worship him.

I have grown up listening and doing Satyanarayan Vrat Katha on full moon days since my childhood. Even I happened to have the desired results and my wishes turned fulfilled on doing that but I couldn't get one thing -  if God is all giver and created us, why He would be bothered if his devotee forgot to take his Prasad; or in moments of joy – didn't listen to his whole story; or postponed his Puja? 

Why would He destroy the ship just to prove that His blessings are bestowed on those privileged few who took His Prasad? Why would he make his devotee suffer so much, just because he postponed or forgot his Puja? Were they coincidences or propagated by religious gurus? What was that, I am unable to understand even today?

Two years back, my in-laws became disciples of Sant Rampal of Barwala. They were convinced that they would reach Heaven with their mortal body as it was and would receive all the earthly pleasures there too.

Now, whenever we tried to logic their conviction with questions like – when you’ll receive earthly pleasures, you’ll surely get earthly pains also; which they were not clear about.

They took us to Barwala last year. I was susceptible but one thing I was really impressed with was that their work was well organized. Hundreds of poor people were getting food, shelter and right to equality there. 

Whosoever feeds a hungry mouth is God.

Ever since I got married and came in this house; I observed that my in-laws had a particular custom that on Sankranti there would be no auspicious celebrations, gifting, payments and no transactions at all. Besides, we couldn't grind, wash, feed beggars etc.  

It was a long belief that if we tried to break this custom, somebody might die in the family as it was experienced many many decades ago.

Now, it was strange that my husband a Sankranti born and I a Sankranti born coincidentally tied in wedlock among lots of family drama.

Once on my birthday, my colleagues asked for a birthday treat; I declined but they insisted that they pay from their pockets and later I reimburse them, which I agreed seeing no transaction on Sankranti.

By the evening, I reached home I received a strange and untimely news that my father-in-law’s brother died that day in the afternoon.

I was shocked – how could it be possible? Could anybody die just because I gave my consent on celebrating my birthday? Even when I didn't spend anything? Was it because I also shared the cake? I was getting mad but I couldn't dare disclose the events of that afternoon in my office to my family to keep peace.

Now, when this Sant Rampal entered in my family’s life; things changed. How?

He had his own set of rules and some of them insisted on 1.No rituals, 2.no idol worshiping, 3.no alcohol, smoking, tobacco,non-veg,4.regular contributions etc but he had given a notebook to all his followers which needed to be updated with an entry on every monthly or fortnightly visit.

This notebook was just like a bank passbook which needed updating regularly.

The catch was that devotees would follow the rules and in return they would be taken to Heaven/Satlok with their mortal bodies.

This arrangement was as peculiar to me as the fear factor of religion but I observed about eighty percent of his rules helped the people saving their health and money on alcohol and such things and their contributions which made the Godly Figure richer but a part of it went in their stomach too; which they didn't realize was their money only.

Even in my family, my father in law who is ex-air force personnel used to be a regular drinker and a chain smoker left all his indulgences at once in hope of Moksha. 

It was a big peace in the family because he used to drink just to finish his official quota of liquor so he could buy more on discounted rates. Now he stopped drinking altogether.

Secondly, the most important freedom of my life, that entire Sankranti fear vanished.

We started living just like a normal, no bondage, and free spirited family. No more mental reminders everyday to check if it is a Sankranti or when is the next Sankranti. 

It was a big relief and that’s why I never followed but never objected to Sant Rampal in my family either.

And till date even when Sant Rampal is behind bars; we don’t follow Sankranti rituals anymore, we live fearless; no casualties happened ever, which makes me question that death on Sankranti-if it was a coincidence, which even made me feel guilty?

When a small but valuable teaching of religion can make a huge difference in a single family; surely it impacted others as well.

God didn't make religions.

No.

There is no testimony that any God made any religion.

We made religions and we made God. Further, we broke that God in different sections.

Religion was made to impart the values and principles of living a life worth living but as the time passed; many myths were added.

Dust of orthodox and negative thinking made the shine of truth opaque.

We stopped understanding.

We followed because we were told to. We followed because it might bring us something good. We followed because it could harm us drastically. We followed because God would destroy us if we didn't.

God is not there to destroy. No animal and bird worships any god. Does it?

But everything is born, nurtured and destroyed. Nature has its rules.

When we forget to follow the rules of Nature, which we very simply ignore, then God steps in.

To remind us on every nook and corner the values that we must follow. The principles which may mean our doom.

We need to open our eyes and understand the true meaning of everything which is said and done.