What is the goal of life and how do we achieve it?

(The following is an article I wrote in Toostep quite some time back. Take what you like and ignore the rest)

The Essence of Region.

1. Is it not weird that Theist beliefs that have deep roots here for over 5000 years in case of Hinduism, about 2000 years in case of Christianity and Islam, are being confronted with challenges from many newly formed ideologies such as Communism and its offshoots, an ideology that even in its original form, facing death in its infancy across the world? Or is it just the clash of beliefs between “Creation Theory” and "Evolution theory" about origin of this planet and the mankind in it, considered by some as a God’s special creation, against those who believe in theories that these are just a natural or an accidental Evolution? Or is there a sudden reckoning by a section of the society, that Theism as followed by the present day watchdogs and guardians of various Religions is repressive and anti people? Or is there something else?

2. Is Theism in all its forms is slowly approaching its death? The questions arise are; if Theism as approached by humans is dying, can Atheism or Deism be alternatives? What does 'God' look like beyond a dying Theism? Does such a God matter? By rejecting Theism, does one necessarily become an Atheist? Is stepping beyond Theism necessary to follow Secularism?

To propose one to move out of Theism need not be always to join the secular sojourn in a meaningless Deism. Then, can Theists and Atheists approach and coexist hand in hand in Secularism? According to saying of Jesus, “Give to Caesar what Caesar’s is and to God what is God’s”   there should be no problem for a Theist to be Secular.  This proclamation of Jesus clearly indicates that His manifesto is more about a “Way of Life” of all humanity that could be practiced without discretion and inhibitions of religion, cast or creed.

However, Theism when misconceived in the hands of fanatics is worse than Fascism. Where Theism and Atheism refuse to coexist harmoniously under Secularism or in the worst case under an Autocracy, it leads to anarchy. Examples are aplenty around us.

3. God is real. None other than hard core atheists would doubt that. The question is whether, the human words, human formulas, human made systems, ever could fully capture that reality and meaningfully pass it down through the generations? Are these the basis of the ill feelings that go on happening between some of the present day religious practices, in spite of the advancement of humanity,? If it is so, how can the religions stand up and fight those who oppose Theism?

One should believe in God by experiencing God’s effects, not God’s being. According to a famous writer, one never can see God as a disincarnate or separate self with his analogy of 'Essence of God' with the ground water that flows beneath the surface of earth. The springs, rivers, lakes, wells and oases; no matter how differently it tastes from one location to another, and no matter how the water is used, it still comes from the same source and it is ultimately of the same radical oneness. One shall visualize and experience God’s effects, not God’s being.

God being life and love, transcends all boundaries. If God is not a ‘Being’ but the ground of ‘All Being’, the source of Life and the source of Love, can anyone any longer claim that the fullness of God has been captured by any particular group; without practicing it? Will it not be anything but idolatrous and foolhardy if any one claims to know God and then do just the opposite? The fact is that human beings often try to approach God only with human analogy, nothing more. Even some dared to create Gods in their own image and of many other different shapes and characters. The worst of all, some take refuge of 'Religion' to meet their own hidden objectives.

One cannot begin at a point where he is not; one must begin where he is. Can God be contained within any one religious system, or can any people continue to live as if God were the tribal deity of their particular group or nation? See how political divisions in different parts of the country found expressions by religions to historically make much of these divisions that are part of their tribal mentality. Are many of these religious propaganda we see around now bordering fanatic ideologies, sustainable?

4. Are the Religions just the human creation to make people believe in the concept of ‘GOD’ with the objective to make people to become part of a harmonious communal system? If we are to understand thus, a “Religion” in its real sense is more a “Way of life” than an “Institution”.

Sadly, the literal faith stories across the generations, simply do not communicate meaningfully the pathway that represents the “Essence of Religion” and the “Essence of God” through it. It is therefore, that many religions are being misunderstood, by many including its current followers whose new era groups taking religious conversion and counter conversions as their main agenda.

If we are to really believe in the bountifulness of 'GOD', do God need help of one set puny humans for protection from others? According to scriptures, the “MAN” whom He made in his own image, is the one that God loved the most among His creations. Then God would definitely despise his loving creations indulge in hatred and hurt and kill each other living in fear, pain and sadness and that too in His name. The opposite to hate is Love, the most valuable thing in the eyes of God. Only deeds that evoke and involve Love pleases God. Where there is Love there is Forgiveness, Compassion and Kindness.

A true 'believer' is the one, and only the one, who has faith in the teachings of his religion, and follows the path shown by it and seeks to understand the “Essence God” and the effects of God and the relationship between man and God and the true meaning of essence of Life, Death, Life after Death and eternal life in the Kingdom of God.

“The Kingdom of God does not come in such a way as to be seen. No one will say, look here it is or there it is, because the Kingdom of God is within you”   This is perhaps, the most significant and revolutionary teaching of Jesus Christ about the Kingdom of God.”

1. We will get big yields for it later elsewhere as whatever we do the little that we can do for the needy and down trodden, it will be multiplied many fold and given back to us and for our coming generations.

Is this very difficult to understand and experience?  When we lead our life with compassion, kindness and caring and sharing with the needy, we will be filled with self contention giving joy and happiness to our spirit. If we do not, with all the vanities we have, there will be only despair, sadness and emptiness and anxiety about the future.

5. Disorientation of the belief. No righteous Religions can preach or practice the doctrine; “I am OK, you are not OK”.  which implies others will not OK unless they become part of them. Unfortunately, such has become the posture of many religious factions for decades now. It is quite obviously the stance of the superior to the inferior. It is judgmental, rejecting, negative and hostile.

Surely, Love the embodiment and the “Essence of God”, cannot be professed amid judgment and hostility. It is because of the above reasons; some of the Religious leadership, had been perceived as disoriented from the thought processes of main stream humanity with their irrelevant religious sideshows of promoting factional thinking and therefore, are in drastic need to be reformed.

It cannot be believed that either skin pigmentation or ethnical background and regional disparities constitutes a matter of superiority or inferiority, it is regarded that any traditional or social system or any religious system that operates on that assumption is unworthy of communal life and will not fit into the agenda of humanity, even the atheistic ideogy like Communism that breeds discrimination based on class.

Love is the foundation of every righteous religion leading to the Essence of God. A religion of Love without boundaries and barriers, Love without divisions, Love without discretion of cast, creed, rich or poor, Love without animosity and an ultimate state of Love that make one love his foes more. Where there is Love there is Forgiveness, Compassion and Kindness.

To summarize:- The need of the day for all real believers, who embrace, adore and adhere various traditional and righteous faith orders and beliefs, irrespective of the religion, faction or sect they happened to be in now; is to escape the harmful influence of vested interests of disparate fundamentalist groups and power mongers, ignore the legacy of confrontation, and explore the path of re-conciliation. United they shall seek in a similar manner, in the light of Love and Forgiveness, and move on to share the “Essence of their Religion” and the “Essence of God” through it, harmoniously amongst themselves and others.

When the formations of righteous humanity stand united and tread in the pathway shown by the founders and fore fathers of their Religious faith orders, with staunch desire and intention to meaningfully become part of this secular nation, the so called Religious hierarchies as well as the misled Political power mongers playing on religious feelings, will inevitably have no other choice than to fall in line. I have full faith in the younger generation in India, who will definitely safe guard the culture of this country and continue to upkeep the magnanimity of Hindu and other religions, the like of those one can seldom see elsewhere; and take this country marching forward with renewed unity, with all its diversities.

Abraham Paul.