Friday, February 13, 2009

QUESTIONS OF LIFE

Most of us have beliefs that are convenient to justify our desires and longings, allay the basic fears and uncertainties and fulfill a sense of belonging. Their usefulness is to the extent that they help us to make us better human beings and bring a deeper meaning to our being alive. Heavy words like altruism, God, eternal love are indicative of how inadequate our life is and how insecure is our identity in relationship. Their ability to lift our spirit is in their translation as duty, honor, feeling and understanding of each other.

Philosophy is meant to form principles and shape criteria. Religion is meant to promote spiritual fellowship among people and not within a particular faith. This is possible only through an understanding heart and freedom from prejudice. The bigot can never be religious. Justice is meant to promote respect for the law and a law can be respected only when it gives equal legal protection to all.

Moral norms are not merely social habits but spiritual ligaments in the body of society. They represent not only the outlines of social behaviour but are meant to appeal to the better side of human nature. They are not merely to hold people together through a balance of self interest but to sustain spiritual responsibility to each other.

We ask ourselves the following basic questions. How can we expect respect from others if we have no respect for ourselves? How can we have self respect if we lie, deceive and act as a coward and a weakling, if we are arrogant, vain, selfish? How can we expect the love of others if we are selfish and full of ourself? How can we expect success without hard work? How can we have inner harmony if we have no devotion to spiritual ideals?

Spiritual life does not consist in singing the glory of God and chanting mantras but in the practice of integrity, compassion, fulfilling of duties and obligations, acceptance of personal responsibility, selfless service for a common cause that does not enhance the ego of anyone in particular. The tree of life can be stable only through the deep roots of actions motivated by love, a sense of justice tempered by compassion and understanding and unselfish support for others.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

hi written well but i will have to read some more times to understand this one completely