My Idea of GOD

A few months back, while bidding adieu, my sister hung up the phone with the words "Jai Bhagwan". This was new, I thought she picked it up from somewhere and hence I ended up asking her, "what does it mean?". She in her naive words said - "Though Hinduism has the concept of Polytheism, I don't wanna differentiate and do partiality amongst God's. So from now on I will hail all as - Jai Bhagwan". She giggled and logged off, stirring some new thoughts in my head.

Coming from a religious South Indian Hindu family, I was taught about religion, customs, etc. from very childhood. I never questioned nor doubted the existence of God. I still remember learning hymns from my grandmother and chanting them.

There's an incident from my childhood, which I always reckon whenever I think about God. I was in 4th standard and when I lost my notebook a day before my finals, I got tensed and went crying to my Grandmother. She wiped my tears and asked me to close my eyes and pray to God with a true heart and remember all the places the notebook can be and search again. I followed what she said and like magic, I found it. It made a powerful impact and made me believe that my God is there to help me whenever I need him. He is just a thought away, like a best friend who is just a call away. For all these years, I think I took God, my best friend, who never left me alone, for granted, without realizing what that incident actually meant.

I found the notebook, because I had faith that it be found. And what made me have that faith? The answer is very simple. Many a times we doubt our own capabilities and unnecessarily start worrying about the future and the results, defying the quote from Gita- "Karmanye Vadhikaraste Ma Phaleshu Kadachana". What we lack in those times is the faith, faith in ourselves. We pray to God and seek his blessings, so as we can channelize our energy in the right direction. A blessing from our elders, best wishes from friends & family, make us confident, because of the confidence they have in us. One feels strong, when not alone in the quest. After all it took Lord Sri Krishna preach the Bhagwad Gita before Arjuna fought the Kurukshetra War. As sometimes it takes more than us to figure out what we hold within us.

Every time I visit a holy place, I feel the existence of a divine power. This feeling has always mesmerized and made me wonder about the magic, which calm's me down, helps me focus and experience the feeling of being comfortably numb, what I sometimes seek so badly to flush all my thoughts and feel nothing at all. The magic in the air is because of the quietness, calmness and purity of souls around in that vicinity, away from the hard feelings they will otherwise carry inside them.

Love all, hate none.
And believe in yourself, because God helps those who help themselves.

You may call me crazy, but trust me it's still an understatement :P