I am writing this byte in order to explain in a better fashion or elaborate more on what I meant in my comment about GOD and why I feel there is a conflict in everybody's mind about it. I have come to observe that the concept of GOD has always been discussed at great length by many here on Xomba and yet they never hit the nail on the head.
This happens due to incomplete knowledge about GOD, religion, and the whole essence of human beings. Now, I am by no means asserting that "I" have a complete knowledge either. No. In fact I haven't read any other "religious" book other than our own Hindu Mythological stories. But, I have been observing other religions from afar and their practices too and so can comfortably say that I find most of them to be "Male Centric".
I have been to a church sermon, to a Gurudwara and a temple and I have also had the occasion to observe the Islamic or Muslim religion by virtue of my Muslim friends. So I have seen the way they live and practice their religious beliefs in daily life.
Now here is my take on religion. Religion is a "faith" developed by Man so that he can follow a "path" to GOD and live a "good life". That was what it originally was. Now let me explain what this "really" means.
The path to "GOD" is very simply explained. The Hindus always tried to practice "Meditation" in the form of "Yoga" which is nothing but (in simpler terms) taking care of your body, physically and mentally to be in "good health". Yoga is a very good way to achieve a good healthy body and mind and also a good way to exercise. The term "Meditation" in Yoga means to sit in the Lotus position and bring your mind to a state of complete peace. This task is not an easy one, for the mind, by its own virtues is always in conflict and keeps flitting here and there. Therefore, its an art to control your mind and focus all your energies "inwards" that is to "introspect" your soul.
Meditation makes you focus on a single point near the center of your body called the "Chakra" and by doing this you are able to control all your "five" sensations (feel, touch, smell, taste and see) and bring your mind instead into yourself, your inner body...which is your soul.
Now, you are supposed to introspect. Seek all answers to your conflicts within your soul. Because your soul, inadvertently, knows all the answers. They are all there inside you. Your soul is on a journey throughout life and so it is what guides you in your life. Your soul seeks enrichment in the form of "experience and knowledge" that is "unique" and different for each and every individual. For eg..The journey of my soul would be completely different from the journey of another human beings' soul. So the answers that I seek cannot be given by another human being, but from my own soul.
For centuries, the Hindu sages have been trying to attain what is called the "Nirvana". In simple terms this condition is the one when your body, mind and soul are all in your control and you have achieved a state of complete "bliss" or exist in a "higher" plane by virtue of having completed your journey or found the "path" to GOD. So, GOD is nothing but the path to your "soul". In other words, GOD, is your soul. That is why they say, that "GOD" exists in each one of us. Which is true.
The soul is not "male or "female". It is just the "essence" of life. The reason why we are "alive". If the soul leaves our body, which is just a vehicle for it, we will die. The soul never dies. It just goes on in its path and seeks another fresh body to start yet another fresh journey.
Now having explained all this let me also explain why I feel that "religion" has been manipulated by man through the centuries and distorted and twisted the real meaning behind it. Quite simply, Man like I explained in my earlier comment, always felt inferior (in their subconscious level) to the power and strength that they perceived in women, the so called "gentler" sex. They feel inferior because of the knowledge that women were the true "Creators" of life by virtue of their ability to give birth to another life form which is in itself an act of GOD. (GOD the Creator)
Men have never been able to understand their true purpose in life and so they began seeking answers. They wanted to show their superiority over women and so began to "create" things so that they can also feel like GOD. If you notice even today, man is in continuous quest towards this very fundamental truth. Science is advancing today by trying to create babies outside the womb of the mother, in a test tube. Man has tried to "clone" life forms and create cells (basic unit of life) in a laboratory all in the name of science and advancement.
If you will look back at men's behavior through the centuries, you will notice that they never knew any of the answers that they were seeking. In Hindu mythology there are stories of the sages who went to the mountains or Himalayas "to seek the truth". In real life, (this is my interpretation) they were running away from their basic responsibilities of looking after their family, namely the wife and kids. As soon as the kids were born they would pack their bags and run, leaving the poor woman behind with a whole pack of kids to rear on her own. They would then return back home after many years (when kids are all grown up) and expect the woman to then revere HIM and treat HIM like GOD because HE has been meditating all this while on the Himalayas and becoming closer to GOD!
Women on the other hand have never "ran" away (they never had the chance) from their responsibilities, instead they quietly fulfilled the role of both mother and father for the kids and struggled through life trying to survive herself and feed the kids. The man was being fed through "begging" or what is called "Bheek" in Hindi. He did not have to work. (I am talking about those "sages" or Holy men).
Women do not need to go to the Himalayas to feel closer to GOD because they know all the answers already. They are always closer to their own soul by the virtue of being "emotional" in nature as compared to men. Now don't get me wrong here. I am by no means trying to say that men don't have emotions. Yes, they do, but the "range" of emotions that a woman goes through in life is completely different and on a different plane than what a Man goes through. Women experience a lot through their lives from childhood to adulthood by becoming a mother and nurturing her children. She goes through a range of feelings and emotions in childbirth and while breastfeeding. She also feels the deep pain and anguish associated with childbirth and a miscarriage. These are emotions that no man can fathom. Women feel complete when they fulfill their role as a daughter, mother, and a wife.
A woman in spirit knows the true meaning of "GOD" when she feels a sense of accomplishment by meeting the right man and loving Him and then having His child. She would do anything to protect Him and the child with her love all through life, if He remained true to Her love. Thus Love brings Her closer to her GOD! It does by no means "mean" that her "man" is GOD!
A man too goes through his own emotions (on a different plane) and he too will feel closer to GOD if he "surrenders" himself to his "soul" and seek Love and to Love equally and protect his other counterpart and his children.
I hope that I have been able to explain what and how and why about the existence of GOD. Therefore, GOD is common to all religions and generally preaches the same thing. But it has been distorted and misinterpreted by ignorant "men" throughout the generations for their own selfish reasons.
That is my take on religion. I would like to put a disclaimer here that I do not wish to offend anyone - male or female or any religion in particular. These are just my own beliefs and what I have understood about life and GOD through my own observations of different people and their religious practices. I apologize if I have hurt anybody's sentiments.
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