This and that: Religion beyond politics

This and that: Religion beyond politics

Ch II 46 form The Bhagwat Gita

Yavan artha udapane

   Sarvatha samplutodake

Tavan sarvesu vedesu

   Brahmanasya vijanatah

Translation

 As is the use of a pond in a place flooded with water everywhere, so is that of all the Vedas for the Brahmin who understands.

Explanation

“Just as one who gets water from the river does not attach importance to a well, so the wise do not attach any importance to ritual action” For those of illumined consciousness, ritual observances are of little value.

So far as the essence of the Bhagwat Gita is concerned it is immaterial whether Krisna the teacher, is a historical individual or not.

Oh no! I am not about to embark on a treatise on any particular religion. I believe Bhagwat Gita is not a “Sacred” text and in a sense I suppose all “Sacred” texts are literally a collection of verses to propagate wisdom to humanity. All these texts preceded respective religions. Let me make it clear that I respect all texts and respect all those who revere any text and practice a religion. It is the prerogative and right of any individual. I uphold that right. Just so, I believe it is my prerogative and right to discuss and question “religion” and religious practices.

Having got that out of the way, this verse from the Gita is profound in its meaning. It simply states that you are better served by knowing why something is done, usually through ‘religious’ prescriptions and rites, than physically doing something just because

a)   You have been told to do it

b)   It is what is always done by forefathers

c)   It is ordained in my religious texts

d)   Everybody does it

e)   If I don’t do it, I will go to hell or whatever

f)    …. any or all other reasons you can find…

It also says once you know the reason for doing something, you don’t have to mandatorily do it because you already know why it is done; you know the result of your proposed actions in advance. The key is knowledge, realization; thereafter it is just you and your mind; you can achieve that which you intended to achieve through physical activity by just concentrating your mind towards it and consider it done without any physical or material interchange.

The essence of all religions, I believe, is to addresses the inner self. Methods have been worked around it over generations by vested interests – for material gains or subjugation; Just take away the methods; you will realise that all religions are the same – the language, stories, heaven & hell (where are they located? Well, your guess is as good as mine….) may differ…do they matter here and now?

I do not therefore believe religion is a real source of conflict anymore in this world, including terrorism; the methods built around the essence of religions are the primary reasons for dissonance and conflicts around the world.

The evolution of mankind has left in its wake a series of conflicts. The present-day humans (Homo Sapiens) have surely evolved over several millennia. It is also a fact that GOD in whichever form we know today, if at all, existed millions of years before the introduction of any texts or religions. Also, it is recorded that we the Homo Sapiens, were not the only sapiens who inhabited this Earth. There were other human species such as Homo Erectus, Homo Neanderthals etc.., who were annihilated by Homo Sapiens to gain ascendancy. From inter species (!) conflicts, human-animal conflicts, to inter racial conflicts to inter faith conflicts to various other conflicts we have seen it all over the past tens of thousands of years.

Is the human race any better from these conflicts?

Yes. In some ways. All these conflicts are now passé. Across the world, except in India, there are effectively only two issues now, over which conflicts persist. Economy and culture. Every other reason attributed to the strife around the world is only a façade. Whereas economic considerations have been the main causes of most conflicts these past decades, the dissonance in culture is fast catching up as another reason – now what is culture is another moot question. My definition of culture is just the way a section of the people dress, eat, dance and it’s behavior in general within the family, closed society and society at large. When a section of people immigrates in numbers to a place where the aforesaid behavior is different and the immigrants fail to adapt to the adopted culture, a conflict situation is created. We are going to see more of this in the decades ahead. If we want the world to be a better place than it is, we have to look beyond what we can see!!! Beyond the methods.

In India where Hinduism has been a way of life for millennia, the advent of the Abrahamic religions brought in a social revolution of sorts. On the one hand was the effect on the daily lives of people (cultural?) and the on the other was the basic tenets of the religions which says that their respective ways are the only path to reach GOD, which conflicted with the idea of Hinduism.

This “religious” dichotomy can’t be set right by any political action. On the contrary politics will always exploit this dissonance as will criminals. Religions have to evolve with time. Even the Pope has now allowed use of condoms, in special circumstances. There is a debate in the church on allowing Priests in certain geographies to marry. These developments are a result of followers from within wanting change. 

In India, communal harmony is the direct responsibility of religious leaders who should realise that changes are required in their respective religious orders for perpetuity and integration with the larger society.

Tail piece:  When there is so much of good in all religions, why do religious “hatred” rear its head. With malice to none let me try to explain: Hinduism never evolved as a religion. There was no messiah, there were no covenants, there were no commandments. The “avatars” (deities) never prescribed or commanded how to pray or lead daily lives. The mainstay of Hinduism is seeking the eternal Truth – constantly asking questions as opposed to following tenets, to find the truth …The Bhagwat Gita was never ever prescribed by anyone as a Holy Book. It is in fact, part of an epic which has many more teachings (not mandatory) on different aspects of life, just like the Bhagwat Gita. On the contrary, the Abrahamic religions have Holy Texts which prescribe how to lead daily lives, and lay down rules and commandments and insist that those who do not follow them are infidels or non-believers and so ……

How can we in INDIA be rid of religious hatred? Can politicians, Governments and laws do it? Or should the leading religious leaders take the initiative? I leave it to your judgement.

Note: All these matters of minorities, reservations et al in the constitution are not about religions and castes per se. Good or bad laws do not contribute to religious disharmony; they cause economic inequality (rather than equality they were intended for) which is one of the two major reasons for conflicts worldwide.