Which Gods will really protect me?


 

It is raining Gods and Gods, especially in India. There is Ram, there is Krishna, there is Mahavir, there is Ganesh, there is Shiva, there is Swaminarayan, there is Buddha, there is Hanuman, there is Jesus, and there is Allah. All the female deities of Durga, Kali, Saraswati, Laksmi, Sita, Parvati, and many more.

We as Indians feel very obliged and guilty if we do not worship the gods. So every little temple or every little stone that is erected around is worshipped like a god. The blind faith does not allow us to reason out or make a choice on whom we will worship. Worshipping in temples has become a ritual of sanctity, purity, and dharma.

Within these deities, there are sub- deities and sub- casts and each one feels I am right or the best to be worshiped.

In this immense showering and raining of gods, there are also people who believe in all gods and are scared to make a choice. There are also some who believe in none and who rather be an atheist to be more conscious of his values.

There are some who believe that I will never get wet and not a drop of any of gods will shower on me. We are a population of immense differences, cultural values, rights, rituals, and religious symbols. Each little region evokes a different god or a sub-god within the individual.

So at one level, there is a collective psyche that runs through all the minds and at another individual is making separate choices as he or she progresses in the evolution of life.

It would be fair to stand in the corner and observe the individual and of the collective psyche unfolding.

It leaves a question for myself where am I in all this? I have given up worshipping gods, goddesses, and temples.  Yet, there is an inner core within me that feels evoked when I stand or when I am in front of god. It’s the cultural heritage that I have lived for these last decades of life or the coding that has come from the family system.

What do I do with all the messages that pop up every minute wishing me Happy Janmashtami, Happy Mahavir Jayanti, and Happy Ganesh Chaturthi?

In this humongous world of the God-Goddess, temples, and mosques it would be worthwhile reflecting on which space is mine or not.

Is it fear, faith, or guilt that is driving us towards these ‘Action’ choices?

Author:-Dr. Nayana Shah (Ph.D.)

           Director, Manthan

             Ahmedabad

Comments

  1. BinaSeptember 21, 2021 at 12:35 AM

    To your last question, what is driving me towards action choices- I have observed that men and women are most defenceless and open when in front of God, and in this weak state, they invite exploitation, abuse and theft. So my favourite comment is “God is everywhere, except those temples.” Another strong objection I have is against the fear of God every one tries to instil in us. We are not culprits, we have done nothing wrong. No one i is judging us, no hell no punishment awaits us. God is in our conscience, guiding us, appreciating us, motivating us as a gentle friend.

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    Replies
    1. Nayana's StoriesSeptember 22, 2021 at 11:28 PM

      This is exactly what I mean Bina. Thanks for supporting my view point.

      Delete
  2. Sudeshna bhojiaSeptember 21, 2021 at 1:50 AM

    Wonderful process of atma-manthan --- as always-- hitting to the core, with brutal honesty and simplicity! You impress me to no end and I feel so humbled reading your posts.

    Often, our perceptions won’t allow us to view, directly, the inexhaustible potential in the universe.... and the possible consciousness alive in worlds beyond our own?

    So--- we are still left with a lot of space amid the groups of gods/ faiths/ beliefs...

    I think we all perceive God in our own personalized way.

    1. Worshiping - well you may not be seeing worshiping in the way we have been asked to see- it's associated with a particular posture, some pre and post rituals and rules/ norms, etc.

    I see you worshiping, when you come to Visamo Kids and work with us--- when you try to help us regularize the systems, starting the After XII programme, the Mentoring segment, when you do everything possible to secure admission of an alumni, when you celebrate your special day with team Visamo... when you brave Corona and insist on offline meetings, or when you make it a point not to miss out on your Yoga class...... that is worshiping to me. You are invoking strength from the Universe to contribute to a cause.
    So, while you do not subscribe to idol worship, you do acknowledge the Supreme strength around you in the Universe.

    2. ...'The messages that keep popping incessantly...'
    It's not possible to regulate others' behaviour- but it's possible to regulate our phone's traffic to an extent.
    a. Change the notification settings- so that they do not distract you.
    b. Change the media settings in whattsapp so that the pictures on whattsapp do not reach and get stored in your gallery

    3. Finally- It may be fear, faith, guilt or love or belief that drive our actions... I don't think it is a fixed thing--- It's situational...

    Once I heard someone (who was doing 'wrat' for some other God/Goddess, shift to Sai baba 'wrat' on Thursdays) saying, (when asked why the shift from one God to the other?), " Sai baba gives faster results"...:))))

    So, there is performance appraisal as well of the efficacy and speed with which the Gods deliver results....:)))

    I have seen this 'belief in the 'God' as a strong and reliable coping mechanism- especially for them who have no one to turn to. I feel through this act of worshiping or following rituals, or keeping fasts during the 'wrats' people invoke the strength innate in them. Bhagwaan toh har jeev mein basta hai--- bus jagrut karne ki hi der hai....

    Also reminded of Rancho's "All is well" funda in 3 idiots film--- does saying "All is well"... simplify the problem?...NO.. but faith/belief etc. helps us to not give up ... helps us to keep going on against all odds.... believing that someone up there will take care of us.

    Yes, what I also believe in is that we should not be blind in faith--- blind to ourselves, our rights, our contexts, our priorities, our senses... faith should propel us to take actions confidently, without the fear of failing or fear of the uncertain.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nayana's StoriesSeptember 22, 2021 at 11:33 PM

      Sudeshna, really enjoy reading your comments. They make a lot od sense to me and gives me wider perspective of my beliefs. we are the people who run Visamo intimate. so its important that our beliefs and values also gets transmitted into the system and culture that we build.

      Delete

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