India is probably one of the few countries where religion still plays a significant role in personal life and society.
Around me, I see some people who are highly religious and some who proudly call themselves atheists.
As a child, during one of my ‘phases’, I also started wondering what role does religion play in my life now? I used to ask myself – hasn’t everything changed?
But as I started maturing and understanding how the world works, I realized that the more things change, the more they stay the same.
It’s the goodness we pray to
I respect all religions and am proud to be a part of the Sanatan Dharma.
When my mother told me about all the ‘strict guidelines’ we must follow, I wondered what benefits they brought. Unless doing something makes a real change in our lives, how can we believe it benefits us?
And what could be the point of asking somebody else, even our God, to do something for us? Aren’t we supposed to change our lives ourselves?
As a young boy, I naturally thought I could do anything and ‘need not ask anyone for help’.
But then I eventually realized that it’s not the God, but goodness we pray to. We ‘pray’, or if I may phrase it in my words – ‘reaffirm our commitment’ to the good ideals in front of us.
In my eyes, our Gods are personified versions of ideals we should follow.
It’s not about any one or any thing, it’s about ourselves.
Temples are more than just about religion
I’ve heard some people say building or maintaining temples is a waste of resources. I disagree.
Like different elements in our society, temples serve a purpose.
Whether you believe in God or not, temples signify the good in our society. They represent the ideals our ancestors decided to follow. They indicate that even after centuries of suffering, our society endured because we believed in a better future.
When you go to a temple, any temple, what do you see? In my experience, I see people who want to do good with their lives, who believe in good values, and who want to pass them on to their kids.
Even if someone doesn’t believe in God, they can undoubtedly believe in good principles, right?
Our temples are about our ideals.
Why do you need a God?
I regularly read online comments saying ‘we don’t need religion’ or ‘why do you need a God when science can do everything’, etc.
While I understand why they say this, I think they miss an essential point – everything must be kept in check.
If people can do anything without moral guidelines, they won’t hesitate to do bad things. There are many things that are legal but not ideal. Who should govern that territory?
I believe we should have a moral compass in our lives. We can’t just flow to wherever the current takes us. If we want to shape a promising future, we need good principles.
And God is good.
But we must also change with changing times
I don’t suggest we blindly follow everything told to us.
If our God loves us, he probably also understands that times are changing, and we must change with them.
Our religious beliefs, traditions, and definitions might change, but in my opinion, what must not change are our ideals.
We should strive to be good ourselves and do good for our society. I believe that’s the essence of any religion.
I can only imagine what society might look like for our kids, their kids, and the generation after them.
To ensure a promising future for our next generations, we need ideals. We need religion.
