Nothing irrational about spirituality/ religion

 

There is always the allegation that religion/ spirituality is irrational and only worldly knowledge is rational.

Both have their place. To live in this world one has to be practical and rational. There can be no doubt about that.

However the world is not our permanent place of residence. We suddenly come into it, go through a series of changes, encounter a lot of happenings good and bad, and suddenly leave. Not all of this is under our control. We seem to be propelled and pushed and no matter how much we try things are not as per our intent.

This fact of birth, life and death has always spurred thinkers. The world is in a flux and upon inquiry it is found to be an illusion. The spiritual thinkers as well as the scientists come to the same conclusion.

The thinkers, as also the scientists, come to the conclusion that the world requires a witness. It is also a fact that the world is a projection of the mind.

The world has an attraction that keeps us enchanted with it. We suffer in the world but cannot let go of it.

Religion and spirituality deal with this dilemma. The mind is the key. The world seeks to keep the mind on pleasure and sex so that it does not get a chance to move to higher planes. This is the forte of the binding force that keeps us in this world. The rest is possession and attachment.

Religion/ spirituality offers that the mind be kept on aspects that help in realizing the truth and getting out of the circle of life and death.

As against mundane sex and pleasure religion offers the mind to dwell on matters of the underlying reality and creation. This is not easy as not all have the ability to grasp the higher concepts.

Hinduism therefore has a gradation system. There are concepts and rituals, there is advice on how to live in this world, there is advice on how to lead ones life, there is philosophy, and then there is the structure of Vedanta that destroys concepts and leads one directly to the truth.

Hinduism is not a straight jacket like other religions. It offers tremendous scope for diversity. There is something for everyone.

There is also plenty of scope for people to criticize it. This criticism also is a part of religion and it is considered to be a philosophy, named the materialistic or Charvak Philosophy. Currently this philosophy is going strong in India. Charvak was a preacher who felt that there is nothing beyond the world, life ends in death, and therefore one should eat, drink and make merry, even by taking loans if the need be.

Hinduism embraces this philosophy to prove that its followers gain nothing. The world tantalizes them and disappears. They continue to dream this world and suffer as they do not embrace the right way to live. The philosophy also corrupts the society just as it is doing now by proclaiming that sex and pleasures are all there is to life. It is thus a thoroughly empty philosophy.