Ha! Carefree I Walk!

Why should I always look over my shoulder?

I worry not if you trail me, if you snoop, eavesdrop.

Carefree I walk,

Sincerity my expression, Integrity my soul.

Why should I hold back from speaking my mind?

Why should I restrain the expression of my life?

It is for *you* to accept viewpoints maturely,

Drop your insecurities, Grow up!

Why should I edit myself for your convenience?

Why should I give away my right to live my life my way?

I don't stop you from being yourself,

Do I?

All your efforts to change me

Rearrange me

To but suit the fancies of your presumed enlightenment

Are absolute vanity. And in Vain.

I am the Master of my life.

And haven't you noticed?

I don't even ask for your approval.

Ha!

Why Push Away Muslims?

As you read the post below, bear in mind that I have been an open critic of minority appeasement politics and have been happy to see things like Haj Allowance, PM Iftar Parties, and Triple Talaaq go. But from 2019 onwards BJP leaders' speeches and their IT Cell have actively spread hatred against ordinary Muslim citizens. Not only can this not be allowed, it is fundamentally nonsensical. Please read on to understand what I mean:

Before Islamic invasions, the Indian subcontinent accounted for 40% of the world's GDP. (And no, sorry, we were not one big peaceful land then 😊. Hindu kings were busy invading each other's kingdoms too - North, South, Marathas, Guptas, Mauryas, Shaivites, Vaishnavites, etc. etc. etc. Absolutely no different from Muslim kingdoms spreading their empires!) 

During the time of the Mughal Empire, we still accounted for 35% of the world's GDP.

When the British left us, we accounted for 2% of the global GDP.

2%!

Yet we keep talking about Islamic invasions and use this rhetoric to create ill-will against Muslim citizens of our country but hardly talk about the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, the Bengal Famine, the British response to the Mutiny of 1857, No Indians and Dogs Allowed, and being treated as second class citizens in our own land. We forget the Portuguese who carried out inquisitions (read about Goan Inquisitions - your blood will freeze) because we don't even know about the inquisitions. That the French also had colonies here is alright with us. We are willing to forget all this and embrace the Europeans. We take great pride in knowing European languages, dressing like them, dancing like them, eating like them. We emigrate to European countries and work and live there happily. But embracing Muslims who chose to stay here instead of leaving when the partition happened seems like a strange notion to us! Why?

I'm not saying that we ought to keep harboring grudges against the British, the Portuguese or the French. Of course not! I personally have friends of different nationalities all over the world and I love them as much as I love my friends and family here. We need to forgive the past and move forward with goodwill. It is also perfectly alright to adopt and absorb whatever is of value from every culture around the world - including those who ruled over us in the past. It is only intelligent to affirm life, increase our quality of living and expand our horizons of knowledge and culture.

But please understand this clearly: Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Jains, and everyone else who fought side by side in our independence struggle and decided to live together became family that very moment. Period.

This country will never be a Hindu country. It will never be a Sikh country. It will never be a Christian country. It will never be a Buddhist country. It will never be an Islamic country. None of these will ever happen. Ever. Temples, Gurudwaras, Churches, Buddhist shrines, Mosques, will exist here side by side. Atheists and agnostics will always be as welcome here as believers. We will be ruled neither by the Manu Smriti nor the Sharia nor the Roman Scripts.

Our constitution will govern us and we will shape it together, collectively, democratically.

This is how it's going to be. No other way.

If you talk about the presence of extremist elements and the need to nip these in the bud: I am with you 100%. Anyone of any religion (or otherwise) propagating any extreme ideology that threatens peace and stability in this country needs to be put behind bars right away and kept there. You will never see me protesting this.

But at the same time, this is how much of a problem I have with the ordinary Muslim citizens of this country: Zero. I've gone to school with them, I've played cricket and football with them, I've worked with them as a colleague, there are Muslim doctors and nurses who have attended to me when I've been sick, Muslim restaurant owners who have served me delicious food, there are Muslims in our police force and army who are as committed to the safety and integrity of this country as anyone else, there are Muslim teachers and professors in our schools and colleges, Muslim scientists in our research labs, we've had a Muslim president, and this is how much of a problem I have with all of them: Zero.

At the end of the day, the only sane way forward is to take the best aspects of every culture, including our own, reject negatives in every culture, including our own, and move forward with intelligence and all the wisdom we can muster. That-is-the-only-sane-way-forward. Period.

[PS-1: If everyone, all religions put together, in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh understands the above post, and resolves to simply end all internal as well as cross border conflicts, we can become an unstoppable force. Unstoppable. Remember: 35-40% of the world's GDP. That's our genius and caliber. That's how great we were and can become again. We are better than this squabbling, quarrelling, set of immature people that we have become. Much much better.]

[PS-2: As I remark at the start of the post, let us not forget that before invaders came from outside the Indian subcontinent, Hindu kings fought and invaded each other's kingdoms too. Hindu kings too indulged in war and bloodshed. We were not all sitting peacefully in meditation before evil outsiders came and introduced bloodshed to us. We were not all positive, all good. There was evil and violence and oppression within us too. To be in denial about this is plain hypocrisy. There are positives and negatives in every world culture and civilization. And as I remarked above the only sane way forward is to take the best aspects of every culture, including our own, reject negatives in every culture, including our own, and move forward with intelligence and all the wisdom we can muster. That-is-the-only-sane-way-forward. Period.]

Theism: Not A Precondition For Spirituality

Of the four paths of Yoga, some prefer combining Karma Yoga (the path of action), Raja Yoga (the path of meditation and other spiritual practices) and Gyaan Yoga (the path of reasoning and knowledge).

The path of Bhakti Yoga (the path of devotion) doesn't vibe with everyone.

This is absolutely fine.

There is absolutely no need to force theism upon anyone. Theism, or belief in God, is *not* a necessary requirement for spiritual progress. Bhakti Yoga is one of the paths. It is not the only path.

In fact, the path of theism has to be walked with a depth of understanding that very few people have. I invite you to read the following four posts to better understand what I'm pointing at: 1) Strike a Pause: Theism and Goodness (strike-a-pause.blogspot.com), 2) Strike a Pause: Sweet-Talking God? (strike-a-pause.blogspot.com), 3) Strike a Pause: Business Transactions With God (strike-a-pause.blogspot.com) and 4) Strike a Pause: Which Gods Are We Feeding? (strike-a-pause.blogspot.com).    

The spiritual goal is to perfect one's character and seek a complete understanding of all existence: internal as well as external. The universe, ourselves and our relationship with the universe. For me, even science seeks to understand all of existence - internal as well as external - so there is no conflict between science and spirituality. (However, based on my experiences during meditation, I would like to see more interaction between Scientists and Yogis and Mystics for a more complete scientific pursuit.)

The preconditions for spiritual progress are a commitment to sincerity and righteousness, honest enquiry, purity of intent and character, and dedication to put forth the required effort.

Belief or faith in any person, being or God is *not* a precondition. As I remark above, Bhakti Yoga is one of the paths. It is not the only path.

Even in choosing someone as your spiritual guide or Guru, better you observe carefully and evaluate critically before reposing your trust in someone. And even after accepting someone as your spiritual guide or Guru, never violate your own conscience or ethical sense no matter what any scripture or person says. Your first and foremost commitment is always towards righteousness and perfection of character. If any scripture or person asks you to do something unethical or immoral, simply walk away.

With the above clarity in mind, obey your spiritual guide or Guru's instructions in a healthy sense of the word "obey" - just as you would need to obey your music or physics tutor if you were to master these subjects! 

And that's that :). Move forward step by step, day by day :).

I also invite you to read: Strike a Pause: Spirituality, Religion and Science (strike-a-pause.blogspot.com).

Unity and Uniformity

Unity and Uniformity are widely different concepts and each has its place.

Institutions such as the armed forces and schools need both.

But at a cultural, linguistic and religious level, an insistence on uniformity is poison. Here we need to be united while embracing the whole spectrum of diversity.

And then there are elements that promote crime and violence. With them, we reject both. We hold ground and insist that they transform and evolve.

Application of concepts depends on the context. A whole lot of trouble can be avoided if we apply this principle.

Fitness: Just The First Step!

Fitness is obviously important! I also spend some time every day on some basic stretches followed by jogging or muscle toning or playing a sport that makes me breathe and sweat.

But have you observed this: There are people who invest a whole lot of time, money and effort in "gymming shymming" but don't make an effort to expand their knowledge and sharpen their intelligence by reading good books or develop and refine any aesthetic talents in fields such as music or art.

They just "gym shym" and walk around with expressions that be like: "Look at me! I've gymmed shymmed!"

These people miss the whole point! We keep our bodies fit so that we have the capability of pursuing something higher! We are not just our bodies! "Shaping our bodies" is not an end in itself!

Please don't be like such people 😑!

Spirituality, Religion and Science

When it comes to spiritual / religious matters, I respect a wide range of viewpoints.

I respect theists who are inclusive, who live and let live. On the other hand I find people who claim "their God" is the only true God and "their way" is the only true way pretty silly and childish. Either there is God or there isn't. And if God exists, He is everyone's equally! And quite surely, if there are so many roads leading to even your little home, there must be several paths to Him! How can we continue this Kindergarten level squabbling? Who is any of us to monopolize God and paths to Him? Shame on us for this arrogance and unenlightened way of thinking and being that has caused so much trouble in this world and continues to do so! If anyone tries to convince you of such a God, be sure they do not know what they are talking about. Wish them well and pray for their enlightenment.

I respect atheists. They don't believe that God exists and openly say so. They have as much a right to their viewpoint as anyone else!

I also respect people who are unsure either way. I was in this boat myself for several years of my life! I wasn't sure if God existed or not and I accepted this honestly to myself and others. I read, I interacted with saints, I meditated, I enquired. I have shared the understanding I eventually arrived at below. If you are in this space, I wish you a fiery search :)! If you arrive at the same understanding, OK. If not, that's fine too :), we'll exchange notes :)!

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My personal understanding of religious and spiritual matters is as follows (I comment on the relationship between science and spirituality in Points 5 and 6).

1) The same divine consciousness has been referred to as Om, Ishwar, God, Allah, etc. by different religions. There is no conflict. A polytheistic religion such as Hinduism also maintains that it is the same divine consciousness that is reflected in all the divine personalities such as Krishna, Shiva, Durga, Saraswati, etc. (just as the same light appears to take on different colors when it passes through different glass panels). One can either relate with this divine consciousness directly or through a divine personality or saint who we feel affection for. All squabbles are meaningless. There is no "other God".

2) Saints, having made themselves purer, reflect the light of this consciousness more strongly. Hence our attraction towards them. When we worship divine personalities and saints, the goal is to manifest their divine qualities in ourselves and make ourselves purer in thought and action.

3) We can realize that (a) we are souls expressing ourselves through our bodies and minds, (b) all souls are sparks of the divine consciousness and (c) it is possible to commune with the divine consciousness by purifying our minds through either 1) Meditation and other spiritual practices or 2) Scriptural studies and philosophical inquiry or 3) Selfless action (performing all your activities with 100% attention and effort and sharing the returns with everyone to the extent possible) or 4) Devotion or a combination of these. One is free to choose one or more of these modalities based on one's personal inclinations and beliefs.

Note: In the Hindu tradition I grew up in, these four modalities are called Raja Yoga, Gyaan Yoga, Karma Yoga and Bhakti Yoga. But as you can see, they are pretty universal!

4) The divine consciousness is loving, compassionate as well as just. As such worshipping the divine consciousness - either directly or through a divine personality or saint who we feel affection for - is for purifying our minds as explained in Point 3 above. But in situations of extreme distress one can also pray for help. The prayer can be directed either towards the divine consciousness directly or towards a divine personality or saint we adore. If we have performed enough good actions in the past, in this as well as previous lives, and if our prayers are sincere, heartfelt and humble, then the accumulated merit of these positive actions result in the prayer being answered. But the general principle of life is self effort. We put in the effort and accept success as well as failure, joy as well as sorrow, with an even mind. Our relationship with the divine is based on love and kinship and our spiritual efforts are to purify and enlighten ourselves - not to continuously get our prayers answered.

[If you come across any supposedly divine personality or saint who threatens to harm you if you stop worshipping them, simply reject them. This is simply a sign of ego and absence of enlightenment. Walk away even if they have answered any prayers for you in the past. True divinity is free from ego and never threatens to harm anyone. Likewise, respect the voice of your conscience and never do something you feel is unethical or immoral even if a scripture or spiritual teacher or Guru asks you to. Your fundamental relationship and trust is always with the divine consciousness and not any book or person. People imparting spiritual teachings are required to have this understanding. If they don't, they are not fit to be spiritual teachers or Gurus.]

5) There are scriptures of different religions. There are different philosophies. There is science. There are also observations and experiences of yogis and mystics. It's all available to us. It's for us to use our intelligence, accept and imbibe whatever is of value in every source of knowledge, and firmly reject whatever is evil and inhumane - including in our own religion.

There is no fundamental conflict between science and spirituality. Both quests seek to obtain an understanding of the entire existence - internal as well as external. The important thing is to be deeply curious. Be deeply curious about everything. A lot of understanding of the external world has come through science. Be curious also about the internal world. You know the world as you perceive it through your five senses. Is there a reality behind these five senses also? Even when you are not seeing, not hearing, not tasting, not smelling, not touching, *you* are still present? What is that *you* made of? Since both the internal and external worlds are part of the same universe, are there points where the laws governing them meet?

As you seek knowledge in its various aspects, do so from the best possible people in the fields. Whether it's Scriptural knowledge of different religions and traditions or Physics or Maths or Music or Yoga or Meditation, learn from people you trust and whose knowledge and wisdom you respect.

6) The goal is a complete understanding of existence - internal as well as external.

There cannot be such things as Hindu reality or Muslim reality or Christian reality or Buddhist reality or Shaivaite reality or Vaishnava reality or Sunni reality or Shia reality or Catholic reality or Protestant reality or External World Only reality or Internal World Only reality or Indian reality or African reality or Japanese reality or European reality or Black reality or White reality.

Reality is just Reality. It is how things actually are. The universe, us and our relationship with the universe.

If we set a complete understanding of reality as our goal, we win. At the personal level as well as the level of the society and the world.

A Healthy Reading Habit!

There have been people who attained excellence in an art or subject by completely immersing themselves in it for a while.

Pt. Nikhil Banerjee is an example. He spent 4-5 years with his music Guru Ustad Allaudin Khan during which he practiced fourteen hours every single day. Everything else was shut out. TV, books, magazines, all shut out.

Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia used to lock himself up in a temple and practice the flute for fourteen hours a day for some years.

If you look, I'm sure you'll find more stories like this in a range of fields.

If you decide to pursue an art or some other subject with this much zeal for some years: Amazing! All glory to you!

But in general I highly recommend developing a healthy reading habit, preferably for some time every day, but if that's not possible, then at least on the weekends. Reading not only awakens and enriches the mind, it also increases one's ability to concentrate, and that in turn benefits every aspect of life.

And read good quality stuff! Don't waste time with junk reading. The genres will obviously vary from person to person. Some may prefer science, others literature; some fiction, others non fiction; some prose, others poetry; but make sure you read good quality stuff! No junk!

It is very important that we quit two things completely:

1. Aimlessly wasting time. If you just observe, time is running out at a very high speed. Don't waste it. You can recover other things in life: money, property, etc. But time once lost is simply lost. You can never recover it. Don't waste it. Even time spent with friends has to be well spent. Good friends, good activities, good conversations.

2. Letting junk enter our minds through any medium. No more junk TV, no more junk gossip and chitter chatter, no more junk books and magazines, just no more junk in our minds.

If you sort out the above, I assure you: You will move forward very fast in life. Very fast.