What is Religion?

“Kunal, please do not be so much of an Atheist. Why don’t you believe in God and religion dude.” Was the statement my friend put forth to me when we were discussing once again the possibilities of the non-existence of God. This was the usual statement he made when he ran out of points to argue with me and convince me on the same. “Look when you have proper points to argue and convince me only then discuss God with me. Till date you and anyone or everyone who has debated with me on this has lost arguments over all this” was my closing statement to the debate. He however like all other people around me was determined to make me agree that God exists and bow before him.

The other day he called me and asked me whether I was interested in giving a motivational lecture to his 10^th and 12^th std students. At first I was reluctant as I knew what he was upto. He knew I could lead the herd anywhere with my words as per his demands. If given a chance I could convince anyone into something they did not believe in even though I may personally not be believing the same, but having a nice career and learnt successful traits in sales I knew I could convince anyone to anything. I could in fact convince an Atheist in believing that God existed and he would forever be thank ful to me and keep believing in God all his life. Its just that I need the proper price in the envelope of payment I get at the end Lol!!.

I was at free will here though. So I decided to just ask a few questions to the kids and know on the spot what I should enlighten them upon. So I did agree to go to the lecture and did reach there in time. In the class there were many students all young kids who were either in their 10^th or 12^th std who were to appear for their board exams this year. They were all under pressure of the competition and also the board exam itself. Everyone was geared up to be perfect in everything and anything they have learnt and also to pass out with bright shining colors in their results. By looking at them I had a slight hint of a smile on my face. I could remember the days when I was sitting in one of those chairs and had attended such motivational lectures. At that time I use to dream about giving a lecture myself someday and today here I am all having the reminisence of the past. I looked everyone they wished me good evening and I returned the gesture with a strong firm voice of a good evening wish. Here I what happened in the lecture :

“Good evening! So all you guys all set for the exams. It seems too much pressure aint it.”

“Yes sir it’s a lot of immense pressure. Parents, teachers, schools everyone just pressurising us to perform better for a good future and all. We are just going crazy with all this pressure.”

“Hahahaha! I can understand this stuff because I have experienced this first hand kids. And let me tell you this happens every year. First it’s the pressure of exams, then the pressure of passing the exams and soon as the results are out the newspapers are first filled with news of who topped and then with the news of who commited suicide. Its like the season of suicides and toppers. Anything in between is either not questioned or not important. In these days kids sit and study all day and have no fun at all telling themselves once the exams are over I will do this and that. But in the vacations again they are constantly under pressure of the results. Kids everyone copes up with pressure in their own way, how do you think they do it? Whats your way to handle it is what I wanna know.”

“Sir! (another student this time a girl) we all think that religion is the best way to handle this pressure and also that it keeps the mind cool and focussed. It helps us a lot in many ways sir.”

“Religion? Pathetic. How many of you actually think religion or so called God helps. And be very frank enough and truthful. I am neither going to evaluate or test you on this neither am I going to complain to your teacher or your parents so be honest guys tell me how many of you actually believe that going to temple, reciting mantras, having a photograph of God, etc helps in pressure of any kind raise your hands please”

Nearly 50-70% of the class raised their hands, including the girl who herself said that she believed religion helped. I told them to lower their hands. I looked at the girl and asked her “If you do not believe in God or religion why did you raise you speak in its favor.” “Sir I wasn’t just sure I thought it may make you angry or my teacher would have a bad impression about me.” I could agree with her on this because I have been through this situation nearly everyday in my life starting from my own house where I belong to a very religious Jain Shwetambar family. A family where 11 people from the bloodline have renounced the world and vowed to live as a sadhu renouncing all the riches amounting to a huge sum of money. (In gujarati we call it deeksha and in hindi we call it sanyas) I gestured her to sit down.

“Kids the very most important thing you should learn is that never be scared to speak out your mind. I know we have to please this world in many ways and one of them is believing in something that the world believes in but our heart and soul doesn’t. But remember what will make you confident, smart, curious and learned is speaking your mind out. The thought process you will develop thus will help you speaking out words in a manner that may not hurt the other person but still put forth your thoughts with ease and without any opposition from anyone. I have spent 10 years of my life in sales and I have learnt this skill over a time and so will you my bright little stars. The world will always do things that it believes in collectively. The thoughts of one man are never important and they are either opposed or crushed down. But then if one man never spoke up we would never have A Gallileo, A Einstien or A Thomas Edison. All these men or men like them had been opposed by the society for their unique thought process and they still were firm on what they believed, Gallileo in fact had to die for his belief and today all these men have gone down in history as legends, great men of history. The whole world owes an apology to them for considering them as freaks.”

The same girl again stood up and asked “Sir! According to you does religion or God exists. ?”

I had a smile on my face and I looked at my friend, their teacher who was standing there in a corner who was already looking at me. I never intended this discussion or lecture to land up at this question I just wanted to motivate these kids with great thoughts and here I was faced with a direct question of God and religion.

“Nope! It does not and anything or everything you do believing in it is just a waste of time energy and money. Period.”

“But sir then there are millions who believe in God and speak of miracles that have happened how do you justify them” Another guy asked me.

“Young man tell me one thing when you need something like a book or a bag or a cricket bat or may be some money or fees for your school or college or tution does the check come from some Krishna, Mahavir or Buddha or Jesus or Paigambar Mahummad. Does it show a signature of these people below the cheque. When your dad pays money for anything does he get the money from these above mentioned parties via cheque. Which bank has the accounts of these parties and how much do they charge for loaning you this money.”

Everyone laughed including the boy and then he told me “Sir all this money is earned by my father he works hard for all this money.”

“So kid tell me where did God or religion come in this. Was there any miracle that happened and your dad God the money or was it his intelligence and hard work that got the money.”

He and everyone around understood my point.

“Sir but still so many people believing in God aren’t mad right.”

“I never said anyone is mad I just said they are wasting their time money and energy. You guys waste your time money and energy on internet, tv junk food, irresponsible fast biking and all but you guys aint mad you guys are the future of my country but then if you are not mad you are still doing stuff that is useless aint it. Similarly these people are doing stuff that is useless but that doesn’t mean they are mad.”

“Sir but I have heard about people being helped by God in many of their problems. They said if it wasn’t for God we would have been into a huge problem.”

I took out my dairy and told the guy “Could you just give me the name and number of such people you know I want to contact them and ask them if they have any contact number or address for God where millions of poor undeducated people of the world, beggars, suicidal patients, heart broken people, bankrupt people etc could go and ask for help. Also I would question them what special favors did they do that God helped them personally, how much bribe does God take to personally attend matters and where do I give the bribe I mean an agent or something.”

He was laughing. “ Remember my friend God never comes to help you. And please don’t even think that he personally does not come but helps us in different manners. If God is actually all that powerful that the sadhus and stupid temples say he is then why appear in forms. Why not appear as he is. Some say God cant be present everywhere and yet the contradict the statement by saying God is omnipresent. Now guys this is just a huge industry selling you God since years and making money. There was a movie Oh My God recently showing a character named Kanjibhai who gives proper and exact points on such debates about how this industry works.”

“Then sir we should not believe in anything there is no religion then how can we focus.?”

“Who said not to believe in anything. The topmost belief is self belief. You have to believe in your self to be the best and to be a human, you don’t need a stupid man made God for that. You just need your brains and intelligence for being a great soul. Do you think your exams will be written by God or will they be written by you. I guess of course you will write the exams so I guess you have to have faith in your intelligence rather than God to pass the exams. Religion as our Gurus, Sadhus, Peer fakirs, Reverends put it is not the actual religion. They are just following boring books written by some drug addicts under complete dosage of drugs and alcohol. These morons have seperated the world on religion and customs and traditions. If there is any religion then I guess it’s the religion that seperates all of us and the animals in the jungle that thing, that thin line of difference is called religion. Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Christian, etc are just stupid notions of business men. They are nothing but industries to earn tax free incomes forever till the human kind exists and trust me there are huge morons who will spend money for the church or a temple or a mosque but never feed a beggar, never educate a child who is in need of it, never help our country, never help a widow instead would want to use her for their pleasures, never respect their elders who are actually a huge asset with their experience in life. These people boast of being religious when actually they are not even animals. The soldier is a true religious guy he dies for his country, a child whoever it may be son or daughter who looks after ailing age old parents is a true religious person, a beggar who has nothing but still shares his food with another beggar is true religious person, a person who educates a needy child so that child could build up a bright future is a religious person and they are all practicing humanism. And trust me folks all these arent God or forms of God they are just Humans. The so called God isnt gonna be of any help. There are many of you who pray everyday for many things and many dreams but they never come true. Stop wasting time in prayer work on your dreams and one day you will surely have them. Only you have a solution to all the problems in your life and you have all the confidence you need to face them you don’t need a God for that. If ever in life you are low talk to a friend or a teacher and even better talk to your mom and dad they will give you the confidence to stand up and fight all the fights you have. Remember when you were a toddler they always picked you up when you fell and even today they will with their experience and love. There is no other comfort or peace then your mom loving you and your dad playing a vidoe game or carrom with you. If you want to believe in a God that’s the place you will find him. But other than that everything else is just a money making industry. You never need prayer to focus you need a die hard cut throat need to fulfill your dream the focus automatically comes and also comes success remember the famous lines of Paulo Coelho ‘If you really wanna achieve your dreams the whole universe will conspire in helping you to achieve it.’ So ask your self what you want in life who you want to be and trust me the moment you are firm on it there will be focus efforts and success and you will not at all be tired when the journey ends in fact you will be at peace and refreshed.”

I did hear a huge applaud and concluded the lecture with wishing them all the best for the exams. Some took down my number to get in touch again to discuss stuff out and get some counseling. My friend was amazed at what I said and he was happy that his students were motivated. Now I don’t know how much of motivation did I bring about in them. But I was true to my first statement I made to that girl I was speaking my mind out.