For me, God is like a friend with whom I keep in touch every minute of my life and share all my thoughts. He is also like a parent who takes care of every little step I take, who guides me if I falter or just holds my hand when I need Him the most.
My upbringing has also made a big difference to my beliefs. The family I belong to is a mix of many religions, so I’ve grown up respecting every religion. It was a pleasant combination of my grandfather being a staunch Arya Samajist while my grandmother a follower of Radhaswami sect. My mum is a pure Sikh, so havans and the Guru Granth Saheb have become a part of my life, rituals without which I’d feel a void in my life.
My religious beliefs are also very diverse. As much as I love to visit the Ajmer Sharief dargah, worshipping the Sai Baba, both the Shirdi Wale as well as the Satya Sai Baba, is also a constituent of my faith. If I make it a point to pay my respects to Him at a church in Paris, I go to the Chhattarpur Temple with equal reverence.
Spirituality for me is to explore oneself. After all God resides in us and we try to locate Him in things beyond us. My faith in karma is unshakable, and what you do comes back to you. Religion for me is not some kind of a ritualistic casteism or some dogmatic sacrament, instead it implies purity, of heart and of soul.
{{/usCountry}}Spirituality for me is to explore oneself. After all God resides in us and we try to locate Him in things beyond us. My faith in karma is unshakable, and what you do comes back to you. Religion for me is not some kind of a ritualistic casteism or some dogmatic sacrament, instead it implies purity, of heart and of soul.
{{/usCountry}}Superstitions are stupid. I’ve grown up listening to ‘do this don’t do that’ idioms but I make a conscious effort to get rid of these nonsensical equations. However, mythology holds some truth to it and helps us to live life better. For instance, Ram’s 14 years of struggle, despite his royal lineage just goes to show that one should keep their heads firmly on their shoulders because life can bring you face to face with the worst crises.
I always feel that God is all-pervasive and if we take out just a little time for Him daily, He’ll always be there for us. We all are heading towards that ultimate truth – death. That’s the leveler for all of us. So what’s the use of getting nasty or spiteful. I like to be good to people and share a congenial relationship with people. What will remain ultimately are sweet memories of you in the minds of your near and dear ones and not the negativity we send out to others.
– As told to Natasha Grover