Praise the lord! says Kingley as he enter's my house. Kingsley had returned from the Divine retreat at Potta. As he came in he started to converse with the rest of us, giving us gyan that we are missing something in our life because we most of us dont go to the church or pray. Alreich reads the bible but gave up going to the church because he thinks whatever the prient in the church talks about he already knows. Charlie goes to the Church at most 2 times a year. Last year he went 3 times. He met with an accident and was lucky to have been alive. He wanted to thank god. After that he returned to his normal self. I on the other hand must have gone to the temple maybe 2-3 times last year on my own free will. I think I also went to the church once. Now does that mean we are unholy people?
The existance of God/Supreme spirit has been a very widely debated topic. A number of books have been written for and against the existance of God. However no one has yet reached any conclusive statement proving the existance or absence of God.Yashvant once asked me, if whatever happens is for your own good, that would mean that God does whatever s/he wants without consulting you. So then why should you go to the temple/church/mosque and pray. Anyway nothing will happen what you want. Well laid out point it would seem. And I would agree to the same. I guess that's the reason I dont go so often to the temple. But there are times I do go, and that also with my own free will. Question would be why do I go?
I believe in my own God. I dont think I have to go to visit God to pray or seek blessings. I have God with me whereever I go. I believe s/he is my best friend and I can go to him/her whenever I feel uneasy. Last year I had a very uneasy year. I found myself going to earlier self, to my God, asking questions. I found I didnt get answers to my questions. But I did find some solace in talking to someone when I had none around to talk to. Now that would bring about another point. I remember God when I need him/her. Well that is true, to a large extend in my case. Is that fair? I dont know. Sometimes I think its not fair. And that's the time I go to the temple to pay my homage. Hasn't happened too many times in my past few years of existance.
As a child, my parents took me to temples and told me God is the all knowing and all mighty. I should bow down and show respect. Somehow I dont agree to the idea of bowing down and respecting. I like to respect by meeting eye to eye and saying I love you. I go to the temple look at the idol and say thank you god for being with me. Ofcourse I do fold my hands and say thank you. I guess I like that idea of folding hands and saying thank you to God.
What makes me wonder is if all religions say all God's are one, why is there a fight on the name of religion? Why should matrimonials between religions should be such a big problem. I know of a Hindu lady who will go the cross at Miramar and pray for the health and well being of the family, but ask her to keep a Christian maid in the house to help her with the daily chores, she was dead against it. Finally after a lot of persuasion, she agreed on trying out the christian girl and endedd liking her so much that she wanted her to stay long after the girl wanted to go to her native.
Most of my friends I would say believe in God. I think they like me believe in Supreme Spirit rather. Supreme spirit does not interfere in our lifes but I can feel that there is some power somewhere around us or in us, which makes us think and do things the way do. I dont think I can define the existance of such a think. I guess that why I can call it God. God - undefined supernatural power. Even scientist have called unexplained material God's Particle.
All I can say, Hallelujah!!! Praise the Lord!!!
Ever heard of someone not collecting money the person owes you and the bank giving it back to you? That's exactly what happened today. I had called up Citibank to check on the status of some issue I had reported and this angel of a guy tells me, I have Rs. 7500 in some holding account. I had done some transaction somewhere in September last year and the merchant had not collected the money. He wanted to know if he should put in a request to revert the money back to my spending account. Now that sort of question confuses. Why will anyone forget to collect money? And who am I to refuse this money? Today was an awesome day.
Here I was sitting and chatting to Brinda about broad mindedness. She was saying that her family is very broad minded. I was and have always wondered what a broad mind is. Is it if you wear skimpy clothes, have a girlfriend/boyfriend and parents are cool about it, swear and your parents swear back at you, of course not while angry, but just in the by the way types, just like you would do with your friends. Does this make you broad minded? Are people not following any of the above narrow minded? I don’t think so. And here’s why I think so.
Broad minded according to me is how well you can adapt to your surrounding society and their point of views and can still hold on to your views and beliefs. This does not mean you change completely and forget what you have been bought up with, nor does it mean you pick up some of the things which you would be otherwise ashamed to doing but do it just because the folks around you are doing.
The point of conversation that I was having with Brinda, was her parents are very broad minded. I don’t think my parents are narrow minded but maybe there are to some extent. Older generation has lived with a certain mindset and changing them over night is not possible at all. Some people have lived in a certain place with own set of customs and beliefs and they have lived there all their lives. If you would to get them out of that place and put them in a new place with a different contradictory set of beliefs and custom, them getting shocked and refusing to change is very natural. I mean I am sure if I were to go to the French Riviera and go to the nude beaches there, I will be of course happy to be there, but I don’t think I would be able to walk around naked and have sex with a stranger there.
A person having a broad mind is a person who can understand the mentality of the other person and change according to the changing society. Our society is very dynamic in its views. The changes that are happening are very rapid with the fast pace of life that we live today. With every new invention, discovery and the new set of information that is available to us today, our thought process can change and should change. How we take in this information process it and change accordingly is what will make one broad minded.
Latest addition to my most desirable things I own
gifted to me by my dear friend Aasif.
Feni - the state drink of Goa has medicinal properties. This I came to know for the first time in my life while on a trip to Ancestral Goa - A theme park been built in Loutolim also called 'big foot'. The largest known laterite sculpture of Mirabai is present in this theme park.
I have lived in Goa for more than 20 years but never really knew what people from other parts of the world thought about us until one fine day I landed up in Bangalore. Here is one of the many conversations I have had with people and they the start and end pretty much the same way.
Someone: Hi, where are you from?
Me: Hi, Goa.
Someone: Wow!!! That's a great place to be born in. You are a very lucky man.
Me:
Someone: Are you from proper Goa?
Me:
Someone: So tell me do people start drinking from the morning it self?
Me: That's true. There are so many people from all over who come to visit. We need to provide them with alcohol when they want right. After all they come for the cheap booze and the other cheap pleasures.
Someone: No I mean the Goans do they drink from morning.
Me: Well you know what, that is one of the biggest misconception people have about Goa. People from Goa are very good social drinkers and are very responsible ones. The stupid bollywood movies have really given Goa and Goans a very bad name. All people can think of Goa is beaches and drunkards.There is also a huge population that does not drink at all. Tea-totlers. You might wonder how is this possible. But thats the way it is. We however do encourage people to come and drink. That's one of the main sources of income for many. Apart from tourism, ofcourse.
Someone: Oh! Ok. So can you play the guitar?
Me: Another misconception. Not everyone from Goa can play the guitar and dance beautifully. There are many talentless people like me.
Someone: Ha Ha Ha...
Here I am yet again making my resolution wishlish
Life has been good to me this year, as usual, getting better with age I guess. Let me summarise the 5 best things that have happened in the year 2008
I have seen a lot of lists detailing things people cannot live without, here I am with a list of things I can die without
I had originally intended on limiting this blog only to my travels, but now I am going to update it with lot of other things ranging from wandering to my wandering mind. Anything and everything I like will be in here. Lets see how far I get on to blogging.
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