Who Says Religion Is Just About God And Dogmas?

It is so much more. Define and live your religiosity in your own way. Some questions that have been discussed in this column earlier (“Who am I? What is the purpose of my life? Am I really honest?“) came up for discussion at a Delhi party recently, held in honour of Arianna Huffington of Huffington Post. Arianna threw in an interesting perspective ­ “Indians find it easier to discuss these topics openly because it is so much a part of your culture, religion and upbringing. 

Anywhere else it would seem a bit odd!“ True, indeed. We grow up amidst discussions of God, religion, birth, rebirth, existence of soul ­ apart from myriad other mystical issues. Whether we accept the homilies or come up with our own interpretations is a matter of personal choice and intellect. 

But the fact that we are so comfortable and familiar with it is also the reason that our religious faith gets exploited so easily to tear us asunder. The trouble is in relating too closely to our identity as Hindus, Muslims or Christians, rather than to the basic values, which are similar to all these faiths.

I get totally thrown when someone asks me ­ “Are you religious?“ I don't have a ready answer. Am I, really? Just like in all honesty I have no “Yes“ or “No“ answers to questions such as whether I am really good, honest, or living the true purpose of my life. If being religious means regular temple visits, rituals, structured prayers and chants, then I'm afraid I cannot be called religious. 

But if being intrinsically good and honest, caring, grateful, generous and God-fearing defines religiosity, then I would say that has been my daily effort all through life. So either way, I cannot sanctimoniously label myself `religious'. Can anyone, I wonder? The closest I can in all honesty come to it is `a daily strife to attain religiosity or religiousness'. In a way, living life right is being religious.

And so, when people talk of dogmas, conversions and re-conversions to faiths, I find myself totally at sea, unable to understand how anyone can forcibly change another's way of living.How can different religions be teaching you different ways of living? As a lady at the parlour told me the other day, “I converted to Islam to get married to the man I love. But he has never stopped me from following my own faith. I still worship Hindu gods!“ Another heartening example was in the news recently ­ a Shiva temple in Punjab, in the midst of `Ghar Wapasi' reconversions, allowed a maulvi to recite the Fateha inside the temple as sadhus and Sikh granthis listened reverentially.

Of course, those with ulterior motives will differ but it's all the same un der the layers of haziness and deliberate blurring. So how does it matter which religious handle I grasp to leverage myself into a better way of life? The movie PK questions religious dogmas and beliefs ­ remember how Aamir Khan sneaks into a maternity ward and examines a child thoroughly, looking for a label defining him as Hindu, Christian or Muslim?

As Aamir puts it, “The message in this film is that the biggest thing is humanity... that trust and faith are the most important aspects of our life.“

My religion, my way.We should be able to define and live our religiosity in our own manner.Be it as love, humanity, empathy or integrity, or even a sense of wonder even a sense of wonder and curiosity ­ all of these can be tools that help me strive for religiousness and so, make me religious. Religion is just finding the best way possible to live and let live.

Taking examples from a question I posed on Facebook ­ Religion is a “disciplined lifestyle“ for Madhukar Nekkanti; it is “being human“ to Gaurav Jalan; a “way to construct faith and feel liberated“ for Mili Saxena; just “another column in a form“ for Anil Kumar, and “being honest to myself“ for Bidisa Sarkar, while it is “personal and intimate“ for Chaitali Bose. And then, says Madhup Mohta, on Facebook again, “I am an atheist. People are my religion.“ Why not? That is his religion.