Losing belief in God is quite natural especially for those who lost near and dear ones in the Uttarakhand rains and flash flood. People who lost their father, mother, brother, sister, sons, daughters, relatives and friends will doubt the existence of God as the crisis happened during a pilgrimage. If you are losing your belief then you never understood the teachings of Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism). Thus it is better to lose the wrong belief and realize the Truth.
There are two issues here one is pilgrimage and another is
belief in God.
Most of the devotees who go on pilgrimage are not real
pilgrims. Sadly they are tourists – going to an exotic location like
Uttarakhand to have a glimpse of God. These people might have never bothered to
visit a nearby shrine which is at a walking distance.
In Sanatana Dharma, pilgrimage (Teerth Yatra) is not going
to meet God in some distant place.
Pilgrimage is a walk for self realization. The ultimate
destination is of little significance.
In the walk you face all dangers, you contemplate, you meet good
souls who give you guidance, you meet evil, you start to see things clearly and
differently – finally your reach your destination – purified realizing that God
is within. You shed all your ignorance.
Pilgrimage can be undertaken at any age. There is a wrong
belief that pilgrimage is reserved after retirement.
How many of us undertake such pilgrimage? We are pilgrims
who have scant respect of the pilgrimage spot. We are in a mad rush to have a
glimpse of the murti without realizing the true significance. Many times we even do not respect other pilgrims (Remember the several stampedes in temples across India).
What is the use of conducting such pilgrimage? We are only adding to our ignorance.
What is the use of conducting such pilgrimage? We are only adding to our ignorance.
Belief in God
In Sanatana Dharma there is no God who sits up with a remote
control. So there is no god in him you can lose belief. God is in all animate
and inanimate. Supreme Truth (Brahman) is with form and without form. Humans are used to form. For
this purpose we have created God in murti form. Thus we have different murtis
and we can choose one or many to our liking. Murti is a path to realize the formless Supreme Truth.
God does not create good or bad. It is your thoughts and actions
that lead you to good or bad on earth.
God is there always to guide you provided you follow the
dharma.
The prime example is of Sri Krishna in Mahabharata war. He
was there with Arjuna all time but He did not fight for Arjuna neither did He
show any miracle. Arjuna had to do his work. When you follow Dharma, Krishna will guide you but you have to do your work. When
Abhimanyu was killed at a tender age, Subhadra and Uttara doubted the greatness
of Krishna ? Krishna
then said that Abhimanyu attained Moksha by following his Dharma. He did not
surrender or runaway. That was Adharma. Instead he followed his Dharma and
attained Moksha. Follow your Dharma was his advice.
How many of us can say that we are following our Dharma? One
of our important Dharma is respect of nature – which is extolled throughout the
Vedas and Gita. How many of us respect nature?
It is better to lose the wrong belief in God and realize the
Truth.
Follow Dharma to attain bliss on earth.
Let your paths be true.