Religion and Thirst
Religion and Thirst
1. Religion is like an earthen lamp with a pot of clay and flame. I liken it to a lamp where 40% of the population is standing with its back to the lamp, 40% of the population is standing under the lamp in darkness talking about light which they themselves have not seen, 20% of the population is just circling around the lamp.
2. Only the rarest of rare persons can cross the pot to join the flame. If a man is thirsty and wants to quench his thirst can he be satisfied by looking at the water, or smelling it. Would he be satisfied by listening to the properties of water by embracing or hugging water? The answer is obvious.
3. Every human being is also born with an inherent thirst for God and this would continue as one grows up if only society did not tamper with it. The most dangerous thing that society has done is to place a substitute god before us which prevents us from ever searching for the true God. A 'substitute' can never be the 'real' thing and is the biggest obstacle in our search for realization of the true God. The substitute is unable to satisfy our thirst although we accept him so we don't have to seek the unseen unknown God. Just as we want freedom but also fear freedom.
4. God is the chief element providing us life and substance. We cannot exist without him, just as a fish cannot live without water. If we place a fish in butter or liberal quantity of oil, will it survive or perish? Answer me. A fish may not think about water but will perish without it so also we may forget about God but cannot be without Him.
5. Another point to ponder upon is when does a seed become a tree? The seed's present is the seed itself. It contains the possibility of becoming a tree tomorrow. Now, if you pray to the seed, place it on the altar, burn holy incense before it, will it become a tree? And if it does not become a tree it will not bear fruits and flowers. The seed must necessarily fall into fertile earth then only it will sprout. The sahasrar (or crown of the head) too is like a hundred petaled lotus with thousands and millions of possibilities lying dormant within.These can only flower when God's nectar reaches there. Meditation provides a smooth passage to this nectar and activates the latent life forces locked up in the brain.
6. Life has very often been likened to a stormy sea, so we must know how to swim. If you want to learn swimming you have to take risk of stepping into the sea. Similarly, if you wish to steer effortlessly through life you should learn to meditate. Drop your fears and be courageous enough to join the flame; forget the clay pot and burn with the wick and let God's luminosity glow through you. That is the ultimate prayer, the ultimate offering the ultimate union.