The current world is waking up to religious and spiritual teachings. May they be monotheists, polytheists, pantheists, atheists or agnostics. Somewhere along the staircase of one's life people ask the questions as, does God exist? Is there an afterlife? Why is there so much suffering? Is this suffering going to end one day or are we to suffer our whole lives? So much so that we are even doubting the existence of these great men.
The question is not whether these men existed or not, rather the question what these men taught. What were their teachings and are we implementing their teachings into our lives or not?
The western religions may have slightly different views about God, but that doesn't mean we must ignore their other teachings as well. Most of the prophets, saints and sages, taught us the art of living, their teachings were about how to live in harmony with others and with one's own self. The belief in God comes much later.
The current world is going through distress, may it be mental or physical. Some are engaged in wars and other are engaged in mental battles which they fight everyday. I won't go into the wars, because i don't want to make this article political. But people who deal with mental illnesses such as depression or anxiety or addictions (may it be sexual or drug related). People are becoming obsessed with sex, men are losing their will powers (ejaculating several times a day), women are becoming sexual day by day. The religious believe, they will be saved by God or Jesus or whatever you believe in, and the non-religious/atheists/agnostics have lost hope in an all powerful God and believe that there is nothing after death. The problem with both these belief systems are that in both the cases we are not quite sure. The religious who claim will be saved by Jesus or God or whatever are unable to prove on a logical bases that they can be saved. Whereas the atheists claim that there isn't any afterlife or judgment... Both of these statements are vague and absurd. None are sure about what will happen in reality. Whether there is a judgment or whether there is no judgment we are not quite sure of it.
Lets assume that the belief of the theists is correct. But my question is on what bases? The theist will bring forth his/her book claiming its written in the Bible (the true word of God according to Christians), or its written in the Quran(the true word of God according to Muslims), or its written in the Torah (the true word of God according to Jews), but what is a newborn baby (just a metaphor for a clear mind) to know which one is trustworthy and which one is not. A baby raised in a Christian house will grow up with idea that Jesus will save him (from his mental distresses), a baby raised in a Muslim house will grow up with the idea that only Allah's mercy is to safe him from the depths of hell. Same is the case with atheist, he/she has no logical proof to disprove the teachings of the ancients. How is he/she so confident that there is no life after death? Has he/she died and come back to life?
Both theists and atheists are assuming things. Both are deluded by their egos, hence blinding them to reality. We (theists and atheists) alike did not understand the teachings of our past teachers. Hence we don't respect them or their teachings. So then one may ask the question, what are we to do if we do not know what will happen, if we do not know whether there is an afterlife or not. By pondering on these questions one is to come to the conclusion that there is no past or future, but only the PRESENT moment. One is to know that the past is in the past and the future (afterlife) is yet to come. Therefore one only has the present moment in which he/she can do something.
I am not a Jew or a Muslim or a Hindu or a Buddhist or a Christian, but I do believe that the teachings of the Eastern religions are far more superior in one aspect. That is if one studies the eastern religions they will find that the eastern religions solely depend upon their deeds, their actions, their works. One is to treat others as they would want to be treated, one is to lose all sorts of bondage to material things. One is to break free from the chains of suffering by pondering upon his/her actions and his/her reactions to the actions or others. One is to live mindfully. Fully present in the present moment, not dwelling in the past not dwelling in the future. One is to be humble throughout their life. One is to surrender to what life puts in front of them. One is not to resist the pains and sufferings of this life but to accept them and flow around them as water flows around a rock or a stone. Only then will his/her wisdom develop. Only then his/her heart will open to reality. Only then will he/she be able to conquer his/her fears and raise his awareness. From being self centered to being loving and caring about others.
May all beings be at peace, may all beings be without suffering.
PEACE!
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