Here is part 2 of a soul searcher of an article from Dr. Alamgir Hussan about the “perpetual victim syndrome” that seems to have been infecting a lot of Muslims lately - Desicritics.org: Islamic Terrorism and the Injustice Myth, Part 2. There is a link to the first part within the post. I applaud this man’s honest attempt to look inward and hope that other Muslims join him on the journey.
It was pretty interesting that the usual apologizers at DC were already scoffing at the effort or missing in action completely. Not exactly a heartening sign when people think that debate is somehow forbidden unless it is about someone else’s faith.
Is religion necessary for there to be a good moral foundation? I was switching around radio channels this afternoon when I heard Bill O’Reilly pontificating abouot how secularism is killing moral values in people. Personally, I think morality is not linked to religion and you don’t need to have the fear of a disciplinarian/rewarder God in your life to know right from wrong.
Isn’t it better for you to be a good person because you think it is imperative for yourself to be good rather than because you want to get into heaven or because you don’t want to upset God?
MadMan has a pretty interesting discussion going on at the “cartel’s blog” about - AnarCapLib: Spirituality without religion? To be real simple, spirituality and religion are two different things. I think many people use religion as a tool to hone their spiritual side, while religion is not a necessary ingredient in achieving spiritual satisfaction.
Man in general, is a pretty conceited being. I think most of us would be disappointed if someone told us all our purpose in life is to be born, live, die and be part of the biological waste on the planet. We cannot stand to believe that our lives are essentially similar to those of any other living beings on earth, except for the fact that we can think more and have mastered the capability of making ourselves and others around us miserable. We believe we are special and need to believe that there is some higher purpose for our birth other than just a biological cycle.
This is essentially what I think spirituality means to most of us - a way for us to try and figure out some higher meaning in our mundane lives - a way for us to give ourselves some kind of purpose. this exercise doesn’t necessarily require us to believe in a higher being than ourselves (as religion requires), just a higher place for us human beings in the animal kingdom’s hierarchy. The belief in higher beings only gives us one more level of beings with a special purpose in life, so that makes our wish to give our lives a higher meaning not so much of a daydream.
p.s. I know this can come off pretty cynical, but that is not how I mean it at all - this is how I see most people using the terms religion and spirituality. I am not commenting on the pros and cons of religion or spirituality either - to each their own.
I have been a pretty ardent Hindu for most of my life, especially in the period when I was in India living with my parents. I believed in God and I prayed pretty religiously - followed everything that was required of me and even felt good about it. That was one phase of my life and that was how I kept happy and sane, so I am not saying there was anything remotely bad about it.
Once I moved to the US though, there was no need for an escape for me and there was no obligation either to perform things I didn’t feel like doing - I still kept up with a few things, mainly out of nostalgia and to keep a little of what I left behind in India alive in my memories. I did a few things, missed a lot more, but ultimately didn’t feel guilty about either of the things.
The final reckoning came to me recently, when I was questioned by my sister about a few matters of faith and my pregnancy. I started thinking about how I was going to bring up my boy, but before I got there, I needed to hash out with myself what I believed in or did not anymore, so I wouldn’t confuse the young mind. I think I can finally say I believe in no one but myself and look to no one else human or God for anything.
I am not really sure if I count as an atheist yet - I am looking into myself as honestly as I can to figure out, but all I can see so far is that I am completely apathetic to religion. I have lost the passion that I once had for the subject. I don’t believe or disbelieve anymore. I know I am going to be required to do certain rituals to please my parents and in-laws concerning my boy and I will do them - not because I believe they will somehow help, but because I don’t want to offend the happy grandparents. For now, I guess I am going to bring my baby up to be a skeptic - not just towards religion and God or atheism, but everything. I think I will let him explore things in his own way and not hardwire anything into his brain. I think I will let him evolve his own set of beliefs and spirituality and not impose anything on him from my side.
This is almost going to be like a stream-of-consciousness post, but there is a deeper thought behind everything -
Can a gay man still be a Christian, since the testaments supposedly are against sodomy? Can a person who has had abortions or uses birth control be a Christian? Can a violent person be a Christian?
Can an alcoholic be a Muslim? What about someone who eats pork? What about people who don’t exactly mold themselves after Muhammed and find his morals not compatible with their current lifestyles?
Can a beef and pork-eater be Hindu? Can someone who believes Rama and Krishna are really interesting, “mythological” characters and not real be Hindu?
What about the Jews? Are those who don’t keep kosher still Jewish? What about those who don’t follow the commandments? (admittedly, my knowledge of Judaism is extremely limited - I know, Diane and Meryl, shame on me!)
What I am trying to say is, what makes a person belong to a religion? What identifies a person as a true believer in a faith? Pretty much every single religion is not followed the way it was preached at the time of inception. Does that mean the current Jainism is still Jainism if the Jains don’t wear masks around their mouths like the ones of yore? Are the current versions of all religions even to be called by their original names when they are so different? When you conform the religions to fit in with the current moral code, aren’t you saying the original religions were not good enough to be carried as they were into the modern times? What is the point of belonging to a particular religion or anything at all, if they are not really what they were supposed to be or somehow incompatible with modern values?
(disclaimer: This is just a re-examination of my belief system, not an attempt to belittle any religions)
Reincarnation has been an age-old topic and has been debated on since thousands of years. Many major religions support the reincarnation theory except for Christianity.But some believe that the reincarnation tenet had been removed from Christ’s teachings in 553 A.D. So does reincarnation really exist? Let’s first have a look at what the various religions have to say on this matter -
Hinduism
Lord Krishna in the Bhagvad Gita equates the body with a dress that the soul wears. Just as we change dresses when they become useless, similarly the soul is reborn in another body when the old body dies. He describes the soul as undying and eternal. Therefore he says that its foolishness to lament for the body. The following are some excerpts from the Bhagvad Gita
Ch2 Text 13
“As the embodied soul continually passes in this body from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. The self-realized soul is not bewildered at such a change.”
Ch2 Text 22
“As a person puts on old garments giving up old ones, similarly the soul accepts new material bodies giving up the old and useless ones”
Ch2 Text 27
“For one who has taken birth, death is a certain and for one who is dead, birth is certain.”
Ch15 Text 8
“The living entity in the material world carries his different conceptions of life from one body to another as the air carries aromas”
Buddhism
I would like to give a short introduction to Buddhism before seeing the reincarnation aspect. Buddha was born as Prince Siddhartha in the Shakya clan in Nepal nearly 2500 years ago. Though he led a princely comfortable lifestyle he was saddened and disturbed by the people suffering from old age, sickness, misery and death. He then renounced his life as a Prince at the age of 29 and set on a spiritual quest. After six years of severe penance in the forest, Prince Siddhartha was enlightened and became Buddha (meaning: The enlightened one). He could see how the entire Universe worked and how people were dying and being reborn according to their past deeds or karma.
Buddha says that all living things in this Universe are in a continuous cycle of birth and death and that the only way of breaking through this cycle is through spiritual enlightment.
Note: I am not including other religions owing to my limited knowledge about them
New Age Modern Belief
According to this belief all the living things in this Universe are in a continuous state of spiritual growth. Until we attain the complete growth we keep reincarnating in circumstances of our choice to learn some spiritual lessons and growth. If we don’t learn from an experience, the same type of events keep repeating in our lives until we learn the lesson meant for us and thus break out of the pattern. I think the inexplicable sense of déjà vu that we experience many times can be related to this theory.
It is said that we choose our parents, background, education, spouse etc before we take birth. We choose the circumstances that will best assist us in our spiritual growth or would like to be born to people with similar thinking patterns.
There is some excellent material about Reincarnation and real life cases in the following links
Reincarnation FAQ
Reincarnation
Also see scientific evidence for reincarnation at
Scientific evidence
How to find out about past lives
Mediation is the safest and most reliable way. The only drawback in this method is that it is very slow and may even take years to remember anything substantial.
Other famous methods are Healing methods such as Reiki and past life regression therapy. People who have been regressed claim to remember about 8 to 10 past lives.
An interesting past life regression case
Christie’s Past life
About Past life regression therapy Past Life Regression Therapy
—Geetha
I’ve come across quite a few people who look from the outside as if,they have everything going for them- a good career, good family etc.But still they are unhappy over something or the other. They feel life is dreary. They have an empty unsatisfactory void inside them, they dont seem to like many people, are depressed and moody and have a general perception that the world is going to the dogs.While some sleepwalk through life with this attitude, others try to fill that void with external materialistic things. Its true such things give short term happiness (and leave people leaving feeling worse afterwards) but are not long-term solutions. The solution is to look inside you, maybe you are going against your blueprint.
Every human has a natural tendency to love others and live in harmony and peace. This is called his higher nature. But he also has an animalistic tendency (Ego) that exists deep within which is the lower nature. This ego is the main culprit of all our sorrows, its makes us do things that we dont like to do and makes us say harsh words that hurt our loved ones that sometimes even ruin relationships. All the other evils like anger, desire for social status, insecurity, jealousy, self-pity, selfishness- all stem from this root cause. When people become slaves to their lower nature or ego, they find themselves always in a state of one-upmanship, constantly competing and comapring themselves with others, can only see from their point of view and are usually trying to mould others to their own will by sheer force. This attitude not only makes others unhappy but also makes the person it governs miserable and can never truly bing happiness.
We humans have a ray of God inside us and a natural character which is naturally inclined to be loving and kind (sadistic people excluded).This is also known as your personal blueprint.Whenever we act in a way contrary to our blueprint we are consumed with guilt and unhappiness, while acting according to it brings us joy. When was the last time you helped out someone going through a bad phase and felt that surging joy in your heart. It could be as simple as lending a sympathetic ear to your loved ones woes and really try to understand what they are going through or giving a much needed lift to a stranger.
What is your blue print?
Ok, so coming to the point. How do you find out what your blue print is? Here is a simple way to find out (courtesy: 7 habits of living, by Stephen Covey)
Clear your mind of everything and focus completely on this. In your mind’s eye see yourself going to someone’s funeral.Picture yourself driving to a house. Park your car and enter into the house. You see many people there. You see all your loved ones including family and friends there. Some are crying softly while some are just standing still. You go further, and suddenly come face to face with you body. It is your funeral.All these people have come to honor you, to express feelings of love and appreciation for your life.
First your parents are given an opportunity to speak about you, next your spouse. Then your siblings, children and friends are given a chance to speak. Think deeply, what would you like them to say? What kind of husband, wife, father, mother would you like their words to reflect? What kind of friend? What kind of son or daughter or cousin? What kind of working associate?What characterwould you like them to see in you?What contributions, what achievements would you want them to remember?Look carefully at the people around you. What difference would you have liked to make in their lives?Jot down your impressions for a few minutes, this is your personal blue print of your character.
Last words
Every person who lives must die someday. Nobody knows when and where we will meet death, but we will someday. And when it does come you should be happy and satisfied that you lived life to the fullest by being a good parent, child, sibling and friend. Because in the end, you cannot take a single cent or even a chink of your current social status beyond this life-but only your deeds and the love and kindness you impart to others.So, go ahead appreciate your loved ones, be kind to others and make
your own life fuller with each enriching experience!
—Geetha
Meditation has been an important part of people’s lives especially in Asia since centuries. While most people exercise their bodies, they neglect their minds which work non-stop 24 hrs (even during the time they sleep). It is a process to still the mind and as result gives intense relaxation and peace to the mind.
Check out this link to know more about meditation Meditation FAQ
Who is a Hindu?
Another thing that surprises me is that most Indians (hindus in particular) boast of their rich culture to everybody but do not bother to even glean a part of the excellent spiritual knowledge bestowed to us. While Bhagwad Gita, Vedas and the Upanishads are proper textbooks at hundreds of western universities in the fields of theosophy, metaphysics etc. I really wonder how much percent do really read any of the holy scriptures or try to absorb the meaning. If even at least 30% of the Indians followed the spiritual precepts, India would be a much richer and greater country. Hinduism does not mean doing poojas and asking for wishes or carrying trishuls(in the case of VHP) or putting loud songs on Ganesh Chaturdhi, it teaches how a man should conduct his life according to the law of karma and grow spiritually with each experience in his life
P.S. This is my opinion only, please feel welcome to post u’r own comments
—Geetha