Thursday, September 1, 2011

Believe in one more GOD

Jai Ganesh!! Today is the the festival of  Lord Ganesh, the remover of obstacles. And I wonder about the fascination that other cultures have with the many Gods in this land. India is not just a land of a billion people, it is a land of plenty in many more respects. It is a land of many festivals, it is a land of many faiths, it is a land of many Gods. Growing up in such an environment, you are exposed to many influences, debates and views on faith. I have been intrigued by the allegorical myths of Hinduism. I have been fascinated by the simple message of love from the Sufi saints. I have heard about the divine miracles of the Good Shepherd. I have been enthralled by the peace of the Buddhist monasteries. Experiencing the multitude of faiths tickles the curious mind. The merit of being born in this blessed multicultural land of many faiths and many Gods is immense. So, when someone says to me, " India is a land of many Gods. Do you believe in a billion Gods?". I answer, "Yes and one more". 

I contemplate about the big stream of cosmic consciousness, and about the consciousness that pervades our being. I begin to perceive the battlefield of our daily existence, much like the Kurukshetra of the Mahabharata. I notice the blind mind led by the hundred temptations of the senses, much like the blind King Dhritarashtra and his hundred Kaurava sons. I am grateful for the discriminating intelligence and self control that fight the worldly temptations much like the Pandavas did, to reclaim peace of mind. The fight to reclaim peace of mind, to find the divine. I now realize the Mahabharata is more than a myth, it is a story at many levels. I have much to unravel about the story, but I begin to believe this story is also about finding the divine within you. I begin to believe in one more GOD.

I read about Prince Siddhartha relinquishing the material world, about his search for meaning. I begin to understand his journey to enlightenment from Bodhisattva to Buddha. I realize the Sakyamuni found Buddha within him. I look at the calm and peaceful figurine of Buddha and it tells this story about finding the divine within you. It reinforces my belief in one more GOD. When I discover that Luke 17:21 says " the Kingdom of God is within you", I wonder again. And then I hear Kabir "मोको कहां ढूढे रे बन्दे मैं तो तेरे पास में". Where do you seek me, I am beside you. At that point, yes!! I believe in one more GOD!! The GOD within us...and the billion around us.

May you find peace within. दुआ है !! God Bless!! Jai Ganesh!! 

2 comments:

  1. कस्तुरी कुंडल बसे, मृग ढूंढे बन माही
    ज्यों घट घट राम है, दुनियां देखे नाही

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