By Mehak Uppal
In Express India
It's a shift in paradigm and philosophy. Faith and reason go hand-hand-in-hand for many of this generation. Precisely why religious practices and beliefs take a back-seat and spirituality takes over when it comes to addressing larger issues and vital ‘inner’ questions. “I found myself unable to relate to any religion. I am driven by the philosophy of good deeds and being honest to myself and that helps me grow and makes me feel complete,’’ reflects 22-year-old Ankur Bansal, an engineer, who is doing his industrial training these days. Bansal like many others of his age and thought, considers himself deeply spiritual. So are religion and spirituality two sides of the same coin or different entities altogether? Paras Kohli, a budding fashion designer thinks aloud. “Religion is like a peel of a fruit. We cannot be stuck with the outer crust. What’s inside is spirituality.” Chanting mantras and meditating regularly gives him peace of mind and a drive to work better. At the end of the day, for Paras, it’s all about love and what permeates his soul. “Life’s not about theories and lectures, but living the right way,” he believes.
Haramol Singh, an MBA aspirant, adds another dimension to the discussion, “I believe we are all a part of this big energy. The entire world runs on the basis of sun, wind, water, fire. To me nature is God.” He pauses to point at the poster behind him. “Look at this. It has light or energy as its backdrop as do pictures of most Gods. In the end, God is just a name we use to connect to this energy. This connection can be increased by understanding the deeper meaning of words full of knowledge. I believe that a living guru helps you put meaning into words. In my case, it’s my mother. But then anyone can act as a source of knowledge.’’
So where does that leave religion? “The basis of every religion is the same. It propagates tolerance and acceptance. In a nutshell, vasudev kutumbkam is what I’m talking about,” adds Singh. Nods Jyoti Sharma, an aspiring public relations officer, who says in today’s world what’s paramount is a strong value system, “it’s religious rituals and fanaticism that we’re against, not any religion,’’ the young lady has the last word.
In Express India
It's a shift in paradigm and philosophy. Faith and reason go hand-hand-in-hand for many of this generation. Precisely why religious practices and beliefs take a back-seat and spirituality takes over when it comes to addressing larger issues and vital ‘inner’ questions. “I found myself unable to relate to any religion. I am driven by the philosophy of good deeds and being honest to myself and that helps me grow and makes me feel complete,’’ reflects 22-year-old Ankur Bansal, an engineer, who is doing his industrial training these days. Bansal like many others of his age and thought, considers himself deeply spiritual. So are religion and spirituality two sides of the same coin or different entities altogether? Paras Kohli, a budding fashion designer thinks aloud. “Religion is like a peel of a fruit. We cannot be stuck with the outer crust. What’s inside is spirituality.” Chanting mantras and meditating regularly gives him peace of mind and a drive to work better. At the end of the day, for Paras, it’s all about love and what permeates his soul. “Life’s not about theories and lectures, but living the right way,” he believes.Haramol Singh, an MBA aspirant, adds another dimension to the discussion, “I believe we are all a part of this big energy. The entire world runs on the basis of sun, wind, water, fire. To me nature is God.” He pauses to point at the poster behind him. “Look at this. It has light or energy as its backdrop as do pictures of most Gods. In the end, God is just a name we use to connect to this energy. This connection can be increased by understanding the deeper meaning of words full of knowledge. I believe that a living guru helps you put meaning into words. In my case, it’s my mother. But then anyone can act as a source of knowledge.’’
So where does that leave religion? “The basis of every religion is the same. It propagates tolerance and acceptance. In a nutshell, vasudev kutumbkam is what I’m talking about,” adds Singh. Nods Jyoti Sharma, an aspiring public relations officer, who says in today’s world what’s paramount is a strong value system, “it’s religious rituals and fanaticism that we’re against, not any religion,’’ the young lady has the last word.
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