Let's Re-Discover Relevance of Religions in 21st Century.
My friends, in my opinion, it is because religions are too vulnerable to be misunderstood, and to often be mis-used by people who are hungry for power and elitism. In the modern world, unfortunately it has become a tool to manipulate masses and create mentally sick humans. That is why, we also find liberal citizens directly rejecting all forms of religions once for all!
In reality, religions were meant to guide humanity amidst challenges of life - providing an ideological framework to a society, both on individual as well as social, moral etc. matters.
For a minute, if we drop the present-day image of religions from our mind - we can actually notice that religions provided a versatile solace to a society - it was a mixture of life sciences, logic, customs, ethics, psycology and public relations. It was all-in-one fabric of an ideal society if imagined in its purest form.
Just as when we enter primary level schooling, we are given a pre-defined syllabus and a general path till high schooling. On the path of evolution as humans and maturing/ripening as a society, different religions were designed to be examplary to all generations. Religion, giving oneself an identity and purpose, very much helps an individual to either continue with it, or really think hard and then re-discover his/her true purpose.
Rather than being a set of beliefs and rituals, religions essentially are to provide clarity in life and help humans differentiate between real and illusory. Religion, as it were, acts as a hope for humanity to grasp something beyond this transitory world. Religion is the flavourful element that is the foundation of society. To contrast it with science, we can say that religion is the fuel that guides all our scientific quests. As long as there is something like death in this universe, as long as there is something like love and bliss in this universe, as long as there is this ever-confused brain of humans, there shall be something called 'religion'.
If I dwell upon the scenario of religions in India, I just consider religions identical with the culture of India as whole. Swami Vivekananda aptly describes India as 'The Mother of Religions' in his first address of World Religions Parliament in Chicago. Not only being the birthplace of Hinduism, it is where Buddhism, Jainism and many many tributaries of these religions were born. Even presently, it is a place where Islam, Christianity, Zoroastrianism and other world religions are being practiced and flourished.
I have written an entire 5000 words (around 20 pages) mini book on Indian Culture - basically its religions, core ethics, etc. It may be published sometime in future. When? I am uncertain.
Take-away of today's blog?
Since the earliest times, the culture of India has kept its systems remarkably pristine and unharmed. This is because it is a living culture, a flexible culture which whole-heartedly embraces fresh and modernistic ideas. The feet that this culture has today attained would never be complete by placing fanaticism over acceptance and placing any other ism over Humanism. It was just that in the last few centuries we had forgotten our ideas and became needlessly orthodox, became unnecessarily limited minds, resulting in all sorts of conflicts, quarrels and divisions.
It is very clear that every religion has and must have vivid symbols and forms to connect to the masses. The thing Vivekananda pointed out was the worship of that God, which even the most atheistic person can relate to, which holds the potential to make this society a millionfold better and which embraces greater good for the whole of humanity. This was his ultimate definition of religion - " The moment I have realized God sitting in the temple of every human body, the moment I stand in reverence before every human being and see God in him - that moment I am free from bondage, everything that binds vanishes, and I am free."
Ideas such as these can be infused as most fundamental bases of religions. It must recognise modern-day hunger of overwhelmed souls and offer solutions to promote peace and tranquility.
I believe that world religions are one of the strongest mediums to connect to the masses and support huge social and moral upliftments of humanity. Putting rationality into the table, we can really re-evaluate religions. There is no such thing as Science VS Religion. Both are but pills, suited to varieties types of people, to help them manifest their best. Both faith and logic have their place in human's development. The internet is a great tool to spread positive impact.
Hence, here's Impulsum doing it's bit!
Thanks,
Daksh Parekh.
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