HE COULDN'T BE GOD!
By S. P. Hinduja – Chairman, Global Hinduja Group
Why do you visit a temple everyday and meditate twice a day SP?' Many of my friends have asked me this question. I ask them, why do people go to a bar or a disco? When you go into the kitchen, you get the vibration of cooking. In a study room, you get vibrations of studying, while a bedroom gives you the vibes for sleeping!
Similarly, in a temple, one gets vibrations of Nature. I don't go to a temple to worship a particular deity or for any rituals. I go there so as to think about and connect with Nature. It's a form of consolation and an uplifting experience for me. It's when you connect with Nature that the creative inner flow starts.
You can find Nature in everyday life too. You don't really need temples and forests for that; but it's a matter of personal choice. The important thing is to connect and that leads to mastering of the mind and letting go of ego. The root of all problems is ego, the presence of "I".
And, the best way to lead life is to relieve life. That's what I do. I have relieved myself of the burden of credit and discredit. As a result, I don't suffer from depression or stress or get unduly upset because that happens only when you have an ego or expectations.
One should get away from ego, from "I". The credit and discredit of everything one does, should be surrendered to Nature. I am only directed to do my job - that's my dharma. Who directs me? Who programmes my chip? I have no answers for that. This helps simplify life -there's no excitement, no sadness, no emotion. Whatever Nature brings your way - happiness, conflicts, grief - should be welcomed. What's the point in blaming anyone for anything?
The greatest good the discarding of ego does is that today I can analyse any problem and achieve 80 per cent accuracy because there aren't any emotions involved at all. Being objective, neither pro nor anti anyone, leads to the right flow of analysis. Just like a scientist involved in research....
You will ask, why Nature, why not God, rituals or deities? Well, since the age of five, I have tried sincerely to find meanings to life. I had the option of choosing one of two schools of thought. One was to worship God through rituals, praise Him through hymns and propitiate Him with offerings and gifts. It didn't take me long to figure out that if it was to be a give and take relationship, wherein God gave me something only when I pleased Him, He couldn't really be God! How could God desire a conditional contract with human beings?
And so, I was left with the other school of thought - which was appreciation and worship of Nature. Our parents, Dada (father) Parmanand and Amma (mother) Jamuna, were an intensely spiritual couple and they influenced us with their application of principles to real life. Nature was something they helped me relate to far better. Nature teaches us everything - beauty, appreciation of colour, understanding of life and justice. I believe this Universal Law governs everything. The leaf outside my window cannot fall as much as the planets, stars and galaxies cannot change their courses without Its will. Our ancients called it dharma. Externally it manifests itself as Nature. Internally we experience it as spirit or atman. Our five senses contact the gross elements -Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Space: the Pancha Mahabhootas; the common building blocks of Nature. If everyone accepts this, there would be no conflicts because accepting Nature would help our creative, internal flow. And, when the internal space functions in right flow, automatically the external flow gets affected too. A true connect with the Universal Force will help solve all present world issues and conflicts.