Is a life lived without religion unworthy? — V Chakravarthy, 49 years
■ When we adopt such gunas, qualities, that take us to the pinnacle of being and make us realise life’s inherent potential, it is called following dharma, loosely translated as religion. Here I will use these words interchangeably. At the time of birth, a child is like a clean slate; practising dharma refines the child, enabling him to become a better human being. This process is just like that of gold being crafted into an ornament or toys created from clay. Religion polishes a human being to make him socially adaptable, turning him into a better person, a good parent, child, sibling and friend. It teaches us the right way to live. It points to actions that we could adopt and those we need to avoid. It teaches us to rein in the senses, use the mind well, keep the intellect sharp, and harbour good intentions.
The path of dharma encourages us to keep our thoughts pure and develop strong character. It shapes our instincts and value systems and inspires us to lead a wholesome life.
Superstitious beliefs are not part of dharma; religion is practised with scientific wisdom. When plagued by superstitious beliefs, then, religion becomes limiting; it binds us; it makes us restless but doesn’t help us achieve salvation.
Dharma fills us with ananda, bliss. Here we not only mean paths of dharma such as those followed by a Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Christian or Buddhist, but also practising those dharma precepts. If you don’t practise any religion but adopt value systems associated with dharma — the right thing to do at any given time — that too is good enough. For the one who doesn’t follow dharma, he may be alive but may not experience bliss; life without dharma is just like a dish of paneer tikka masala without salt. ■
Send your questions to surakshit.goswami@timesgroup.com with subject line: Ask Surakshit and state your age
COMMENT