religious or superstitious

[ritu]

I have been raised as a aryasmaji and i studied till 8th grade in an aryasamaji school. i got married in a family who believe in murti pooja.and now i am seeing people around me folowing iskon worshipping sai baba.recently i went to a friends house and she asked me to join her for poornmaasi pooja.she has a small temple in her kitchen which has murti of all the gods.she recited prayers for all the gods and she offered prasad to each one of them.but she was reciting so fast i could not understand most of it.intially i had some sraddha but later i got tired.
I respect my friends religious belief and others but why i could not find it religious but I somehow felt it to be superstitious.these days in india i have seen people spending lot of their time in pooja path because ladies are free due to availibility of servants.i do not know even i want to worship god but there has to be a better way.
sometimes i think people choose the easy way.for example sai baba teachings say to serve poor and needy. but instead people will go to temple touch baabs feet couple of times put some money in the daan patra and done.at home these same people are rude to their servants or mis treat them.

 

[ygulia]

This topic is too sensitive. There is no use to discuss it because end result will be inconclussive.
If you like something then do it, otherwise avoid it.

 

[shweta123]

An apt topic indeed .... Its not so easy to decide where to draw the line between religious beliefs and being superstitious. However, the approach of people like you mentioned, of being generous when it comes to organising poojas, giving money for religious charity but at the same time their inhumane attitude towards the people around is indeed an irony.

I myself have seen many a women who dont miss a morning pooja, but their kids have to leave for school only with some Maggi or bread etc, and they dont have time to give some healthy food to their children and husband. And many a times these ladies compensate their early morning sleep-cut (due to pooja) by long afternoon sleep followed by very crunchy gossips and foul words for people around.... i mean they are also found indulged in all kind of insensitive behaviour towards their servants and even their sasu-ma's etc ! I mean..... being religious is more of being down to earth, sensitive, sacrificing, sensible, understanding and taking proper care of everyone around.

 

[sanjeetsparp]

all are the same way

Once my friends group including me have done discussion on this topic and wasted 4-5 hours of each one ... last conclusion was...

Mano to sab sach hai .... na mano to kuch bhi nahi .... as kuch had tak science answer de sakti hai us ke baad ...kuch sawaalon ke jewaab science ke paas bhi nahi hain.....

Main khud Arya Samaaj ke philosophy pe believe kerta hoon .. per conclusion yehi hai .... jo believe kerta hai ... usko psychological satisfaction usi main milti hai ....... atleast that is a way for the satisfaction and for moral boost for some people .....

Atleast kuch nahi to der to hai ..... werna aadmi or machine main difference nahi reh jaayega....

Lets us take is not as a "Religious or Superstition" it will be better to discuss in a way "Faith and actualism"

If we will go deeper in the meaning there is a very less difference in "Duty and Morality" and " religious or superstitious" only thing the mode of convey all these are in different terms we perform something considering "Duty and Morality" and some perform it under the aspects of " religious or superstitious" but actually all doing the same thing.

 

[prashantacmet]

U cann't check smone beliefs and it is pretty tedious to convince smone. so conclusion is don't impose ur thoughts on other and let them live with their beliefs.

 

[mastjat]

narad muni once asked lord vishnu " whom would rate as your greatest follower(bhagt)"

Lord Vishnu said" Not those who spend there whole day in temples worshiping me... and definitely not those who do all the bad deeds during the day and then do the worship and donations..... and not people like you who do nothing but keep on chanting my name day in and day out......but that man ......who works so very hard from dawn to dusk (doing no harm to others whatsoever) to fulfil his responsibilities and do what he is supposed to do, still remembering me during those hectic 24 hours.........what if he calls my name only once in a day and that too for a second ............."

 

[ritu]

yes very right.I have seen people also deriving lot of strength by following some particular religion or worshipping god.I have seen a young lady in her he late twentiess in a pooja enchanting the mantras from heart without paying attention to any thing.later i learnt she had colon cancer.so she was trying to gain strenghth and will power to battle the disease.She was looking so positive and energetic no body can tell she had the chemo just a day before.

being religious is more of being down to earth, sensitive, sacrificing, sensible, understanding and taking proper care of everyone around.

 

[ritu]

thanks akshay thats the kind of explaination i was looking for.I got my answer .bescause i some times do wonder that am i a nastik by seeing people around me so involved in poojas and at the same time i can not convince my self to do so.

narad muni once asked lord vishnu " whom would rate as your greatest follower(bhagt)"

Lord Vishnu said" Not those who spend there whole day in temples worshiping me... and definitely not those who do all the bad deeds during the day and then do the worship and donations..... and not people like you who do nothing but keep on chanting my name day in and day out......but that man ......who works so very hard from dawn to dusk (doing no harm to others whatsoever) to fulfil his responsibilities and do what he is supposed to do, still remembering me during those hectic 24 hours.........what if he calls my name only once in a day and that too for a second ............."

 

[deepakchoudhry]

Mano to sab sach hai .... na mano to kuch bhi nahi .... as kuch had tak science answer de sakti hai us ke baad ...kuch sawaalon ke jewaab science ke paas bhi nahi hain.....

Kisi kay mananay say woh cheez "ho" nahin jaati aur kisi kay naa mananay say woh "gayab" nahin ho jati.

Reality does not change because of our perceptions, so the argument does not hold, this we have to understand.

To believe and know(experience) are two different things. Belief does not require proof, but on the other hand right belief or "shradha" is very powerful.

Science is incomplete and always will be for the simple reason science is discovering new things everyday, so one cannot rely on Science for answers.

 

[deepakchoudhry]

thanks akshay thats the kind of expalination i was looking for.I got my answer .bescause i some times do wonder that am i a nastik by seeing people around me so involved in poojas and at the same time i can not convince my self to do so.

Ritu,

Just to add to what has been said already, Prathana or Prayer is a gratitude.
What matters is the intention(bhav) but not the act.

Rituals are just outward expressions one feels for the almighty, It can be ritual or a deed or a quiet word of prayer.

Also it does not matter what others are doing, what is important is how are we relating and connecting to God.

We should only be concerned with our spiritual growth.

Thank you for posting the question.


Deepak

 

[ritu]

yes,deepak now i think i am very much clear what is the rt way to get connected to the allmighty.thanks for helping me to clear this dilemma of mine.
ritu

Ritu,

Just to add to what has been said already, Prathana or Prayer is a gratitude.
What matters is the intention(bhav) but not the act.

Rituals are just outward expressions one feels for the almighty, It can be ritual or a deed or a quiet word of prayer.

Also it does not matter what others are doing, what is important is how are we relating and connecting to God.

We should only be concerned with our spiritual growth.

Thank you for posting your question.


Deepak

 

[sidchhikara]

Being superstitious is a necessary condition for being religious, it may not be sufficient though. Don't spend your life being deluded. Just be a good person, don't kill or hurt anybody - unless somebody is trying to hurt you first - then you better be packing, be kind and you will do fine. There is no need for divine intervention.
Sabse jyada bhagwan ke bhagat corrupt log hote hain - whether it is the politicians or the annoying aunties you are talking about.

 

[mastjat]

good to see that ur query has been sorted.........

thanks akshay thats the kind of explaination i was looking for.I got my answer .bescause i some times do wonder that am i a nastik by seeing people around me so involved in poojas and at the same time i can not convince my self to do so.

good to see that ur query has been sorted.........Ritu,you must be a rational and intellectual person to pose such a query.........Good Going!

 

[jagmohan]

Keep Life Simple...

Dear All,

It is never easy to comment on matters of faith. As rightly pointed out " Maanoo to Ganga Maa Hai, Na Maano to Behtaa Pani..". Having been brought up in a home that believed in Arya Samaj, life has taught me that spiritualism makes more sense than religion. I had posted my thoughts earlier on a similar topic and would like to post it for your consideration.

"Life: What is life and its purpose? This is one question that has and would continue to baffle humanity for centuries. The more one tries to understand LIFE the more complicated it becomes. Philosophers and thinkers have written volumes on it and yet there is no simplistic answer. There are various religions, cults and groups that believe in one theory or the other. However, from whatever little knowledge I have, ‘Hinduism’ or ‘Hindu Way of Life’ gives a rather simplistic answer or explanation. To put it briefly, it says that there is an ultimate power, call it by whatever name you want to call it, which controls the happenings in the universe and beyond it. We are nothing but a ‘Soul with a body’ who are destined to do our ‘Karma’. Whatever we end up doing becomes an act in the ‘Karmic Cycle’. The ‘Cause and Affect’ process evaluates the ‘Karma’ and ‘Fruits’ will come by. Every deed or ‘Karma’ will reach its logical conclusion and is registered as a good or bad ‘Karma’. There is life after death, as there is day after night, and the sum total of our ‘Karma’ will decide what kind of life we lead in our next cycle of birth or may be we are released from this cycle altogether.

This is the most simplistic understanding of life that I can explain to you. We are JATS and normally we don’t believe in ‘Idol Worship’ or ‘Murti Pooja’. However, a lot of JATS have started keeping ‘Idols’ in the house. It is more of a reference point and nothing else. The only prayer that I seem to remember when I think of the ‘Ultimate Power’ is to ask HIM/HER to keep everyone happy. I also assure the Almighty that in whatever condition he chooses to keep me in, I shall be ever grateful to him. I don’t think I have ever asked Him that GOD do this for me and I will do so and so. I may have done so whenever my loved ones are in some trouble or sick but then it never works out that way. And no one can fool God (Call it Conscience). HE knows everything so why try and become smarter than the Almighty? One may fool another human being but you can’t fool God or your own ‘Antar Atma’.

So how does a normal person who does not have a deep knowledge of ‘Vedas’ and ‘Puranas’ lead his life? Well by a very simple method. Live an honest life, don’t tell lies, have respect for elders, help out those who are less fortunate than you, don’t hurt anybody’s sentiments knowingly and believe in only doing ‘Nishkama Karma’ ie just do your work or ‘Karma’ and don’t worry about the results. Results will come, as the ‘Kramic Cycle’ has to be completed. Remember you were born to fulfill a purpose as per HIS designs and HE would make you do your ‘Karma’. There is no escape from this. Your aim and goal in life should be to do your work with Dedication, Determination and Discipline. Life and death are the two sides of the same coin. What is born will die and what had died will be reborn. There is nothing more to life than this. We are like dolls that are battery operated. The day the battery runs out, it is thanks buddy."

Hope it makes some sense!!!

Regards,

JS Malik

 

[ygulia]

Ye baat hum sab jaante hai aur sab log be khate hai "Be a Good Human being"

Ek choti si kahani sun lo
Ek baniya tha jo roj sham(Evening) ko gaam ke shivale me jaa ke diya jalata tha...............Ek JAT tha jo us baniya per nigha rakhta tha............jaise hi baniya diya jala ke jata JAT pichhe se aata aur us diye ko boojha jata...........yahi sab khuchh mahino se chal raha tha.........Paarvati boli shivji se ye JAT bhi ajjeeb aadmi hai jo aap ko pasand nahi karta................Shivji bole ye mera asli bhagat hai......Parvati boli wo kaise............Shivji bole aaj shham ko pariksha le lete hai dono ki...................Shivji ne khoob jor ki aandhi aur barssat kar wa di bilkul toofaan ki tarah...............JAT ne sochi kade baniya na pahuch jaa wo Toofaan me chal diya.........waha jaa ke dekha baniya nahi aaya..............JAT ne khud diya jalaya aur phir usko Bujhaya...........Shivji bole Parvati ye JAT asli bhagat hai mera itne kharaab mausam me bhi ye Shivale pe aaya se............

To bhaiyo assali natija hai ki have a strong determination for any thing you want to do and be a good human being which is above all poojas .

 

[amitchhikara]

About religious beliefs: "To each his own"
Do what u want to do and don't force your religious views on others.