In the name of God March 20, 2008

I am writing this article right after watching the movie Khuada ke Liye (In the name of God). I have never seen such a practical movie in my life. And the best about this movie is that it is a Pakistani movie J. Basically this movie is about the various dilemmas and controversies present in society regarding the Islam. It has highlighted issues like the status of music in Islam, the clash between western and Islamic society and some what the conditions of Muslims in US after 9/11. I was wondering why I hadn’t watched this movie before.

This movie has raised a very critical issue of concept of religion. Being a non-Muslim in a densely Muslim populated country, I can feel the every nerve of this movie. Controversies regarding Islam can be understood by this fact that after 9/11, the most searched keywords on search engines like Google and yahoo are related to Islam. Islam is the one of the most beautiful and peaceful religion but few people to fulfill their evil purposes using its name. For me every religion teaches us how to be a good human being? Every Religion teaches us how to make this world more wonderful place to live instead of a hell. There is no religion on earth which encourages violence, addictions (smoking, drinking) or injustice. No religion allows anyone to filch, kill or cheat.

But unfortunately, people have made the religion as the centripetal point of confrontation between civilizations. It is not the sad story of today’s so-called modern world, but even if you take up the history in your hands great battles have been fought on this issue and the most studied one WWII is one of them. I wish people who claim themselves as the true servant of God could ever understand the real concept of God and his message. I wish they could understand the purpose of being in this world. And I wish they could understand the responsibility, role and purpose of a human being. Then what is true religion? It is better if you ask this same question from yourself because for you, no one else can answer this question. The answer is present and buried in our heart, all you need to do is to dig it out. While excavating we go through a process and basically that process itself is the best answer to this question. I am not a religious scholar or PhD in some religious subject. It’s just what I feel and believe. I have written something on this process in my blog Spiritual Realization in which I have shared some what of my personal experiences.

But the most unfortunate part of this story is we haven’t learnt from our past. The things are getting worse day-by-day. The few anarchists are spoiling this beautiful world in the name of God and people are making them able to do that. I still can not understand that how can one teach a religion to anyone else. Religion is not a computer science, it is neither the economics nor accounts. It is a belief, a faith. And these things are far above from our senses to taste.

- I apologize if my words, unintentionally, aggrieved anyone’s feelings or emotions.

Spiritual Realization November 22, 2007

It was only last year, after my selection in university; I came to know about true meaning of Spiritual Realization. There have been questions in my mind since my childhood. Why people used to pray? To whom we are praying, of course GOD, I knew? But who is that God? For what we are here in this world then? And what is our relationship with Him (God)?

My family is quite religious but not strict religious. I, like every kid in any typical well-reputed Hindu family, was said this is temple and that’s where we pray. But my above questions were always in my mind. I have seen people raising and spending their whole life in temples and all. They think, they are quite close to God and they know everything. But when I asked these questions that were in my mind none was able to satisfy me. I have seen my mother, sister and cousins fasting. And I remember I have done that as well. But they really don’t know why they are doing apart from this which they say “to satisfy God and blah blah blah”. Ohhh come on….!!! Well, this isn’t just the story of my family but it is happening in almost every Hindu family. Not even in Pakistan but also in India.

Well coming back to my story. To find out the answers of my questions I referred to Srimad Bhagvat Gita. Truly speaking there was another reason for referring it as well which I can’t reveal here. It was the inception of the Best journey which I didn’t know on that time. It was simply awesome experience. With time and advancement of mental development, I tried my best to understand it up to my level. Actually, it was THE beginning of journey which will never end nor I want to end. I got answers of all my questions in it. I was asking the God why you have kept my unaware of this. But still thanks. Now, I have strong faith in my religion, in my GOD and in myself.

Being a minority you face lots of dilemmas and religion is one of them. So being a minority in Pakistan we face different problems and religion speculation is the prominent one, in fact it isn’t a problem but a positive thing in one sense, Muslims usually ask whole lotta questions regarding your religion and all. Till you don’t have concrete knowledge and faith in your religion, you can’t face them. Well I remember one more thing which really encouraged me to read Bhagvat Gita is the question asked by a well known religious leader of India which was in Pakistan for “Geeta Samelan”. He asked “how many books you people read in an year? I answered to myself “Woopi, let me count”. He further added, “Can’t you read one more book in your whole life time to discover yourself and your god?” I was stunned at that moment because he got a very logical point. You know what…? I got the Bhagvat Gita on the next day.

Now coming to the point, what changes I have after that. I believe explaining these changes will be waste of time because one has to be feel it in order to understand it. So, why don’t you try it…!!!. Well, it would be wrong to say that I am following the path of spiritual realization. Indeed, I am preparing myself to do follow that. But there are lots of changes that I have felt in myself even before the real game has begun i.e. I am far less materialistic now. My lifestyle has become quite simple and straight forward and there are other enormous changes that I have felt in myself and most importantly I have become vegetarian ( I’ll soon write another blog on it) for which I have faced and I am facing enormous problems, happily.

Most of the people in today’s world have no actual knowledge of religion. We just follow what our parents have made us to follow. We are so much involve in sense gratification that we have forgotten the actual purpose for being in this world. I am not saying what we are doing is wrong but the problem is nobody thinks what are we doing? Where we are heading for? What will we give to our next generation to conserve? The skepticism ? Hinduism isn’t at all about what people think,feel and know but it is totally different concept from the teachings that we had from our childhood.

My basic aim behind writing this blog was to answer some people’s question and to encourage them to try it (Bhagvat Gita) once. Really, you’ll start feeling more relax and feeling better about yourself. This is a hidden gem whose value can’t be explained in words. And I am sure hardly anyone will read this blog because they wouldn’t find it important. THAT’S WHERE THE PROBLEM LIES because our priorities have been changed with the time.

Well you try it or not. I want to thank my God and to a person who is behind one of the unrevealed reason for adopting this path. Because once one discovered it, can’t afford to loose it.

Thanks God. I must have done something really good in the past.