Thursday, July 15, 2010
Patriotism
I was at this temple nearby, praying to the several deities, when i noticed a sanctum dedicated to Bharath Maatha. I am not very sure as to why i felt the shrine to be inappropriate within a temple setting. I agree that this gesture glorifies patriotism and gratitude to the land that nurtures feeds us. Pondering over it, i realized them roots of my discomfort... Patriotism is an arrogant feeling... the patriotic afghan is an enemy of USA, and a friend of all afghani's. a patriotic indian is a friend of all indians, though a rival of the patriotic pakistani... patriotism makes us all pray for victory over our foe at war, essentially meaning that we pray for our foes to be annihilated... needless to say, our foe's include ladies, children and men who are collateral damage... then we feel proud that our flag persisted! We stick stuff on our cars and bikes proclaiming our undying love for the country, and get into stiff arguments with people who are unappreciative of the act... are we missing the BIG picture? please share your thoughts...
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Corrupt God!
It all started with tasty meat… no wonder here, ‘coz all who know me know that I love animals, especially when they lie adorned on a plate.
Well, it was just after the tasty indulgence, waiting for the cheque that I wandered into un-resolved territory… Is bribery legal tender? I can literally see your eyeballs rolling over to say “Of course NOT”! But then, like every simple question, I find the answer always floating on murky waters…
Let’s consider the following argument – Animal meat has been sacrificed on alters of the brave Kali, the lovable Jesus and the merciful Allah (to name a few) since time immemorial… and this practice seems poised to go on for many a future generations, considering that religion is ingrained well enough to drive us all to war – time and again… not-withstanding the love, mercy and bravado that our gods represent! And it is not the bollywood villain that wields the deadly sabre, unleashing death on the bleating beauty… it is a lovable dad, a fun uncle, the wisest clerics or for that matter, all the Ram’s, Robert’s and Rahim’s who we adore, play with, and respect for their sensibilities, who “sacrifice” the life of the lesser mortal so as to gratify the glorious One for all that’s given, and plead for more. And then, the culinary skills of the mom’s and aunts deliver them to our honourable seats on the dining table, after what is called God’s consumption! (I stop to wonder why no leg pieces go missing even after the omnipotent consumes straight from the pan)
Here is where I get confused. Let’s take a small detour to a less religious situation… with the promise of getting right back on track in some time. This involves the purchase department of a company… several prospective vendors vie for the grace of this department. A purchase manager ideally profiles the vendors thoroughly, short-lists them based on competent merits, inspects them and grills them through miles of documents and hours of sleeplessness before (s)he determines the worthiness of the vendor to supply material. And then the vendor is happy that (s)he has earned the order out of merit emanating from the self. In this scenario, let’s assume a corrupt purchase manager… all that the vendor has to do is catch the right indications early in the prospecting life-cycle, showcase a different kind of competence packaged in suitcases and bottles, and eventually be graced with the order. Getting back on track, the second case involves the sacrificial lamb… and if caught in the act, there is societal taboo! This I do not understand… there can be sacrificial lamb to the Almighty who shows light, but it’s taboo to follow suit?!?
Either that, or God is as corrupt as the purchase manager, and the devotees as corrupt as the vying vendor. Why showcase competence in terms of ability to express un-inhibited love, forgiveness, tolerance, respect, selflessness et al when there is always an abundance of sheep! Why sacrifice arrogance, pride, falsehood, possessions etc. while the altar is thirsty for blood! Like in the case of the corrupt purchase manager, God should have surely shown abundant signs of wanting sacrificial meat... what else can explain the mystery behind the participation of fully sane individuals who have always loved us, cared for us and thought us the mysteries of the world?
So, is it God that really thought us to bribe, or is it our interpretation of religion?
Well, it was just after the tasty indulgence, waiting for the cheque that I wandered into un-resolved territory… Is bribery legal tender? I can literally see your eyeballs rolling over to say “Of course NOT”! But then, like every simple question, I find the answer always floating on murky waters…
Let’s consider the following argument – Animal meat has been sacrificed on alters of the brave Kali, the lovable Jesus and the merciful Allah (to name a few) since time immemorial… and this practice seems poised to go on for many a future generations, considering that religion is ingrained well enough to drive us all to war – time and again… not-withstanding the love, mercy and bravado that our gods represent! And it is not the bollywood villain that wields the deadly sabre, unleashing death on the bleating beauty… it is a lovable dad, a fun uncle, the wisest clerics or for that matter, all the Ram’s, Robert’s and Rahim’s who we adore, play with, and respect for their sensibilities, who “sacrifice” the life of the lesser mortal so as to gratify the glorious One for all that’s given, and plead for more. And then, the culinary skills of the mom’s and aunts deliver them to our honourable seats on the dining table, after what is called God’s consumption! (I stop to wonder why no leg pieces go missing even after the omnipotent consumes straight from the pan)
Here is where I get confused. Let’s take a small detour to a less religious situation… with the promise of getting right back on track in some time. This involves the purchase department of a company… several prospective vendors vie for the grace of this department. A purchase manager ideally profiles the vendors thoroughly, short-lists them based on competent merits, inspects them and grills them through miles of documents and hours of sleeplessness before (s)he determines the worthiness of the vendor to supply material. And then the vendor is happy that (s)he has earned the order out of merit emanating from the self. In this scenario, let’s assume a corrupt purchase manager… all that the vendor has to do is catch the right indications early in the prospecting life-cycle, showcase a different kind of competence packaged in suitcases and bottles, and eventually be graced with the order. Getting back on track, the second case involves the sacrificial lamb… and if caught in the act, there is societal taboo! This I do not understand… there can be sacrificial lamb to the Almighty who shows light, but it’s taboo to follow suit?!?
Either that, or God is as corrupt as the purchase manager, and the devotees as corrupt as the vying vendor. Why showcase competence in terms of ability to express un-inhibited love, forgiveness, tolerance, respect, selflessness et al when there is always an abundance of sheep! Why sacrifice arrogance, pride, falsehood, possessions etc. while the altar is thirsty for blood! Like in the case of the corrupt purchase manager, God should have surely shown abundant signs of wanting sacrificial meat... what else can explain the mystery behind the participation of fully sane individuals who have always loved us, cared for us and thought us the mysteries of the world?
So, is it God that really thought us to bribe, or is it our interpretation of religion?
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