Generally our country is renowned for its religious beliefs and sentiments that are considered to be very sensitive. Generations have been passed on the knowledge of what our religions are and how we need to adhere to it. Spirituality is definitely not being religious as it requires the subject to figure an inner path to the truth of life. Religion aides this process.
With the context set, my observation rests in the religiousness of this young brigade who have taken their first few steps into their professional career. I do believe that this is a cohort which does hold most of the knowledge that the previous generation passed on and also face stern mental oppression from expediency. This expediency is caused by the innumerable impractical methods that have been advocated by the previous generation which they have followed blindly through their existence. Or rather what the current generation has realized as it being impractical. When one starts to reason religion, there is confusion. This results in leaving some practices out and results in questioning every practice as well. It becomes a habit. There are two sides of the coin to be dealt here with. One that says, do what you believe in and thereby giving complete independence to the individual to decipher every facet and every dime of belief that the previous generation tried to incubate. The other side of the story is to accept what has been done and continue to do it with a stern belief that my ancestors aren’t fools to follow something this long and this may also result due to belief and understanding in what a religion says. It takes a lot on this generation to clearly articulate the path they need to take due to the freedom that has suddenly dropped in from nowhere. One may ask why this didn’t occur before. That’s exactly why I hinted at the professional space. The professional requirements now demand folks to stay for long periods away from their family and this is where the freedom sprouts from.
My concern is not lack of religiousness but is the lack of spirituality. Going to a temple doesn’t mean being religious. It doesn’t mean being spiritual too and hence these are very personal and cannot be measured by a third person. But being religious does imbibe control which in some ways does inculcate spirituality. How? Atleast for a brief moment in a temple, one does think of a power that governs him and seeks its blessings and thereby controls his limits to appease the power though a self developed or a religious doctrine. This brings a lot to the table. The primary being a sense of being. A path. A connect to reality. A curb on ego. One can achieve this anywhere anytime if he seeks it. But given the freedom of the mind in this generation to do anything that they believe in, it does hamper such focus.
How many of today’s generation are found trudging the religious path? Even if they do, they are almost mocked at and perceived as people who lack practical outlook to life. Again, my point is not around going to temple or doing religious rituals. But the simple fact that it is tough for this generation to find the path of reality. And preciously why do you see something like ‘An Art of Living’ or similar entities functioning more than ever. Religion is just a path to spirituality. There is meditation, there is Yoga and these are gateways to spirituality. I am neither an expert nor a propagator of religion. But I do believe in spirituality and I also strongly believe that religion offers light through this long tunnel of finding yourself.
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