Monday, June 11, 2012

Kids and Spirituality sans blind beliefs !!

Jai Sai Master!

Fortunately in India, there will be hardly any who will not know Swami Vivekananada or Bhagavan Ramana or Shirdi Sai Baba. Today, Shirdi Sai Baba has millions of followers across the globe and in many countries, people read about HIM. It is quite normal to see, elders going to temples or talking about these people, while not bothering too much about kids. Even if one goes to Tirupati or Shirdi, no one tells us the kids why they are going to, who is that person or the God out there, the significance. This happens either we are going there out of some blind belief or fear of God thinking that HE would grant our wishes. Behind all these, there is a bigger reason why we do not bother to "discuss" about them. That reason is - we ourselves do not know why we are going deeper inside or we never understood the concept of praying or never bothered to care for THAT very person, WHOM we are going to visit...sincerely. We remember HIM only when we are in trouble, forgetting the fact that we need to remember HIM when we are happy, for HE is the cause for happiness.

Why does this happen in our country? Even educated lot, like me, do not put much effort in understanding the REAL HIM, but prefer to go through the motions of praying in the temple, bowing to the photo of GOD. In today's world, a common question that is put forth for anyone who is attending an interview or during the selection of bride/ bridegroom is - what do you want to become in life or what is the goal or such similar. Most or all answers are in terms of achieving some materialistic needs. Irony is, the one who is answering, never actually thought about the GOAL seriously, till it came out of the mouth. Even out of the mouth, never bother to remember what that GOAL is, once the work is done. If one really pauses, even now, and try to remember that GOAL, and put it on a paper, and contemplate on it, I am sure it is going to appear very silly and meaningless today. Either you feel shy that you had such a goal or feel so bad that you could not work on that etc.. But is that the real goal that one should have in life?