Getting to Know God

Who is God? What is God? Is it a being or a divine entity? Or maybe a fabric of our imagination created to keep our actions in check. What is the ideology behind God? And why does it influence the masses? Is God real?

These are some of the questions that are involuntarily raised in our minds, and are voluntarily shunned down by us. We don’t have a logical explanation, do we? So we choose the easier way out. We ignore them. We convince ourselves that they’re not there anymore, but deep down we know that they still linger, waiting to be answered. We believe some questions are better left unanswered. This is where we are wrong. This creates doubt, and trust me, doubt is a seed that takes very little time to turn into a tree.

I too was haunted by these questions, these doubts. I was scared that I might not like the answers. But some answers, no matter how scary they are, can rejuvenate your mind with clarity.

So, what exactly is the definition of God? God, to me, is a feeling that makes me feel secure, which lets me believe that someone out there is watching over me. A feeling, nonetheless. This feeling of God is heightened by our emotions. Our emotions pave the way for God. This means that God is induced by us.

But what about all the Gods in our mythologies. Did they even exist? If they did, who were they? Divine Beings? Aliens? Or mortals, just like you and me. What if they were mere humans, possessing the same flesh and blood that we do. But then why were they chosen as Gods? The answer is simple and elegant: because of their deeds. Let’s take the example of Lord Ram. His whole life was dedicated to uplift the truth and justice. His actions were in the best interest of mankind. He was a follower of rules, a righteous and honest man. But a man, nonetheless. His actions led him to be something more than just a man. He became a voice, a voice so significant and substantial, that it still reverberates in our ears.

What if such men were chosen as Gods? Men who set a benchmark for the whole of humanity. The ideal specimens of our society. What if their lives were to be taken as guidelines for others to follow? What if their deeds were the ideals for the society to strive towards?

So what meaning does this hold for us? The legacy of these individuals is not just limited to their names or their temples. Their legacy lies in their actions. They’ve left a trail for us to follow. A path that leads to greatness, but maybe we’re too blind to see it. Maybe we’re tangled in social norms and conventions. We choose to follow the philosophies that our society has fabricated, rather than the ones that our “Gods” followed. We’ve created a false image of the meaning of God and we’re too afraid to look past that. It doesn’t matter if you’re a vegetarian or not, doesn’t matter if you regularly visit a temple or not; what matters is the choice you make between what is easy and what is right. I’m not sure if going to a temple regularly has made me a better person or not, but I do know this for a fact that following the footsteps of Lord Ram, surely has.

Inside each and every one of us, God resides. We just need to look deep enough.

HAR HAR MAHADEV.