In the modern times spirituality and religion
have become trivial parts of our lives, although they are somewhat customary
even today. The ancient thinkers gave necessary importance to what should not
be done and the people generally complied with such instructions. Perhaps, it
was enough for the people to know that if they acted otherwise they would be
harmed or punished in the other world. What actually worked in favour of the
religion was, perhaps, fear.
How
the man must conduct his life; and why he must conduct in a particular way, and
not otherwise, could have been outlined by the spirituality and religion to be
accepted as the positive and proactive parts of our lives. Man’s efforts for
his survival and how he goes about dealing with the problems related to keeping
his body and soul together are primarily guided by materialistic
considerations. Materialistic considerations, generally, treat worldly things
as being lifeless and destructible. Materialistic considerations also make the
man treat everything that exists in this world, including the living beings,
even the fellow human beings, as the resources necessary for one’s survival. No
doubt, there is something selfish and much materialistic about our efforts of
survival; but it does not mean that our survival is an inferior aspect of our
life not calling for any interference from spirituality and religion.
It
had been our constant experience that when we push our efforts for survival
away from spirituality and religion, we create many problems for us. While
spirituality and religion are for our benefit, our efforts towards our survival
cannot be undermined in any way. Exempting our efforts of survival from the
spiritual and religious considerations is an error that always becomes
difficult to rectify, for, if that is done, the materialistic considerations
that thrive on man’s insatiable sensory desires, misdirected intellect and ego
grow in strength and expand their field of influence so as to engulf even the
spirituality and religion.
The
spiritualists and religious leaders who look down upon man’s effort for his
physical survival and do not give even a yard’s space to it under the umbrella
of spirituality may achieve a lot for them, and them alone, but are sure to
deprive the humanity of much that it deserves.
The
only job of spirituality and the religion is not that much to make the man fearful
of the devil; but, perhaps, it is more to imbibe in him such love for the God
and His qualities that no part of man’s life is excluded from it.
PROMOD KUMAR SHARMA
[The writer of this blog is also the author of “Mahatma A Scientist
of the Intuitively Obvious” and “In Search of Our Wonderful Words”.]
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