My Religion and Me

When you live in India and are exposed to the riot of colours that is the Indian way of living, you would realize that India is a country that would probably not fall under any rule. Surprisingly, it would defy all exceptions too. Rightly has it been said that whatever you might think of India, the opposite is also true. Well, you would ask - "But what has that got to do with religion which is your subject title?" To that I just have to say this one thing: India would never have been India without religion playing a role. It is the sheer magic of all these religious and cultural forces that have totally made this sub-continent one of the grandest, most diverse and colourful regions in the world today and that is only because of the famed tolerance of the Indian people. We have withstood onslaughts on our culture, braved invasions and plunder, suffered horribly at the hands of conquerors and imperialists but never once have we been aggressors ourselves. It is, in no small measure, due to the stupendous Hindu psyche which surely must rank as one of the greatest philosophies the world has ever known. It is a delight to learn, for an Indian, that scientists are still discovering concepts and ideas that have long been already delineated in Hindu scriptures and writings. Our glorious ancestors have left behind a veritable treasure-trove of knowledge and it becomes our sacred duty to safeguard, enrich, conserve and propagate this body of knowledge for the next generation and the next.

Hinduism does not hold a central tenet, as is already known. There is no messiah that would have to appear to "save the people", there is no "vengeful and jealous" God of the Old Testament and there is certainly no hell-fire and eternal damnation for the so-called sinners. Isn't that such a beautiful thing to envisage?! Sure, Hinduism has its dose of arcane rituals and practices which we have unlearned over the course of civilization but, at its very core, the Hindu way of life would make this world a much better place to live. Jesus Christ and the Buddha's teachings incorporate a lot of the pacifist ways of the Hindu mode of thought and at times it becomes difficult to separate the one from the other. These skeins of thought have been moulded, twisted and utilized by succeeding generations to suit their own purposes. Hence the accretions that have formed are not the fault of the philosophy. Rather, it is us who have to blame for straying from the true path and adopting nefarious and dubious practices in the garb of piety and religion.

Hence, I am always proud to call myself a Hindu. But this differs from the way a rabid Muslim would thump his chest and exhibit his fervour. Mine is of a quiet and dignified confidence in the way of life I lead and I certainly abhor all attempts to "convert" you or anyone else into my mode of thought. The truly wonderful thing about my religion is that you could be Hindu without even knowing it. This idea of religion permeates all of space and time and it is no wonder that some of the greatest scientists, philosophers and thinkers have found their solace, comfort and refuge in the greatest ideas formulated by our ancestors ages ago. So my friends, do not despair that the Hindus have been subjugated and oppressed. It is only a transitory phenomenon! The Hindu shall conquer all through accommodation, love, tolerance and pacifism. Our way of life shall prevail and all those books that preach hatred against the "heathens and the infidels" shall die their natural death and confined to the dustbin of history - where Zeus, Dionysus, Athena and the other gods reside. Let this be very clear to all the Muslim and Christian fundamentalists reading this piece. The Hindu way of life shall overpower you, overcome your devilish designs and reassert itself on the world stage as the numero uno philosophy. Simply because it is.