I am a religious skeptic and don’t concern myself with the question of the existence (or non-existence) of God in everyday affairs.
I don’t look for Him and He doesn’t for me. I never found Him in any gurudwara , temple, church or mosque. But, I easily find him everyday in the music of a composer, in the voice of a singer, in the painting of a painter, in the writing of an author. He’s there in a monument, in a sculpture, in a piece of fashion garment, in a manuscript that lands on my desk for publication. I see Him in the innocent smile of that child standing half-naked with nose running in some far off village. I find Him in my friends who have taken me into their lives, their world, who are always there for me, who stand by me, who tolerate my various moods and eccentricities. I would much rather look at the beautiful formation of a cleavage than the cross that hangs close to it.
Uncertainty drives people to seek answers in religious practice. One turns to God to find solace from one’s misfortunes or seek favors for whatever one aspires for. Happiness or that “sense of inner peace” does not come from the realization of desires. I accept life, situations and people around me for what they are and not what they should be. I never think of yesterday. For me, everything is now. That’s what makes my tomorrow. This does not mean that one doesn’t strive to improve life, to look into matters that are obviously wrong. It means that there are limits on how much an individual can take. It also means that we limit our wants as there is no limit to greed. You cannot have God and Mammon on the same pedestal.
We all have our contradictions and multiple identities. There are many selves within each of us. Which Self will assert itself at any given point depends on what has influenced us at that particular stage. We are constantly evolving. What we are today is not what we were yesterday. Life is like a stream which has to flow forward on its journey. The minute the water gets stagnant it gets polluted. Change is the only certainty and acceptance of it is what gives one peace of mind. – The Times of India
(The writer is CEO & MD, Hay House Publishers India)
timeslife@timesgroup.com
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