Reflections

Any excellent idea, event or personality has always been a hostage of people’s restricted imagination. Be it the idea of Swaraj in Indian context, effort of AAP or restless effort of Arvind Kejriwal. This is not new for a concept victimised by general masses. Those mind who can not comprehend beyond people to people interactions are bound to criticise ideas.

The idea is to get people moving and over the times the best approach practiced was to instill greed and fear. This is quite an irony that the authentic teachings of any religion is to make people free from all desires which take the form of greed and fear, however on ground if we observe the very ground reality is quite opposite. People use religion as a tool to wrap their greed and fear around and sound holy. Often religion is used as a window to vent the emotions of anger out and worship the self greed of worldly desires. People worship since they need security from unknown fears as if someone will harm them and God will save them, or they need benefits in this world or hereafter. This vicious cycle of thought process which circles around the concept of fear and greed is well accepted to masses and then Religion; the cure to humanity is made a subject of fancy criticism.

At the same time i am not against and not contradicting the belief i carry as a Muslim. The belief around heaven, hell, angels, devils and supreme God is still intact and i never find myself in a position to bring greed or fear out of basic principles to live a peaceful life in this world. There is a sharp contrast. Personally to me hellfire and heavenly comfort is not such a source of fear and greed to drive my religious practice. These are the unseen concepts which is part of our belief system as these are taught and described in holy book and prophet (pbuh) confirmed about it. The real driver of a practice is how much you gain personally in performing an act. This is not that you please Allah with your rituals and make the divine happy, [the real point is] but you gain moral lessons and a chance to introspect which make you good “and in turns Allah become happy with you”. If a religious practice do not translate in realizing your own self, your own introspection and make you humble, calm and follower of good deeds then you are either becoming greedy or driving yourself out of fear.

So PK is right. Most of us go to Mandir or Masjid in certain defined cases. Either we are full of fear and need a quick escapism to avoid and face reality, or with full of greed to ask our God for special favors. I call this spiritual bureaucracy. This feeling is hijacked by Mullahs and Pandits and they benefit with funds from “green chadars at dargah” or “special VIP lines at Sai Baba Mandirs”. Those who are blessed go there if they get a new car or get married in order to satisfy the fear psyche of superstitious beliefs of going things wrong. How on earth a God will give a damn of your happiness of getting a car which is even not designed safe on Indian roads.

PK hits right. Religious corruption is the mother of all corruption. It blinds your eyes and make you asleep.