Faith, God and Religion

There is something that has to trigger, somewhere, sometime.

Perspectives change all the time. Life, itself is very dynamic that way. What or Who is important to us at a point of time will cease to exist a little later, or a long time later.  Its not that it would be with an experience so bad that we'd like to severe ties with it, but it just changes. Things just change, over time.

Well, I've been a believer of faith since a long time now. Not at all into religion, but slightly into God ever since I remember. I wonder who really created religion and for what good. It was really not done in a good taste, I must say. With God, however, which eventually (sadly) turned out into becoming an extension of religion, I maintained different views. Classical music, which I have been exposed to, since a kid, is primarily resplendent with a lot of compositions from saints who were staunch devotees of some particular God. Add to this, the exposure of starting anything new with a Ganesh stuti, to make sure things would go on alright. Obviously, since a kid if this is the background you'd be brought up in, then it would influence you. Its only the perspectives that change later on.

A very recent incident made me think very strongly about religion. With God, however, all my discussions with like minded people has been limited to the force being a positive energy, something that also has an equal negativity to balance the world with good and bad. I gave up long time back on praying to God before doing any good because of the simple reason that when people say its God who you have to ask, I'd reply saying - 'If he really is the all-knowing, he'd know what I want.' Religion, however, I discovered is just human made bull shit. One badmouthing the other. I really want to go back in time and see how it worked then, because it baffles me. And what hurts me the most is that in 2016 if someone were to come and give a discourse over religion. I'm pretty sure there is not a dearth of populace of that kind. 

I was seeing this movie yesterday - Lagaan. When the team's performance in the cricket match wasn't all that rosy, they turned to God. A 5 minute song praising God, asking for help, with tears and all, saying 'Ok, listen up dude. I agreed to do something. I fucked up. Or I might. Please help me.' Well, this is what it appeared to be. The following day, no balls are bowled, catches are caught on the boundary line, the team who prayed, won.

Perspectives. I'm not sure if there was an easily accessible God in earlier times who would come down and help you out. I honestly don't know. The perfectly plausible explanation to me would be this - We are all capable, to degrees we ourselves don't know. When things go out of hand, we all get worked up. All it needs to be done is to take a step backward, a deep breath, and an analysis of situations. Perhaps, a smile would help as well. Its basically you telling yourself that 'Dude, look at it from another perspective before fucking it up anyway'. Maybe temples were that. Maybe they just helped to get us in a calm state of mind. For me, the sea would do it. Help me get all philosophical and introspective. It could be anything. It is just a time and a change of place that is needed at that point. This, I feel has been vaguely misconstrued as God's hand.

Food for thought. 

The year that was (and that will be)

Happy new year folks!

Yes, that's it. No meandering bullshit about philosophy, no sulking about new year celebrations, no nothing. I thought let me at the very least, start this year's quota with a happy note. Note. Touché.

I wanted to start off the first blog of the year on a very thought provoking discussion about some crap that I came up with when I was driving to work a few days back, but I guess the topic wasn't strong enough. That explains why I forgot about it. Duh!

Coming to what I crib about, every year - the new year celebrations. This time, it was something that I'd never done so far. The band had a gig on 31st, albeit it didn't spill through midnight. We were out for dinner and random talk till 3 in the morning. All this, with people who mean the most. So, kinda no cribbing about that.

As for the year that went by, it couldn't have been a better coincidence that exactly an year back, I was a part of a band that released an album. Something that all of us worked on, something that had been a very dear project, something that was well delayed. No regrets on how it turned out to be, at the outset. But yes, there is always scope for improvement. Its as dynamic as life itself is.

Early months of the year was a bag of mixed emotions. My first Aero India show not even as a visitor, but as an exhibitioner (thanks to my ex employer). It was exciting. I recall staring at flights when I'd gone to HAL from school. Now, it was with a more informed crowd, involving a more mature discussion and with a more sophisticated Russian crowd (read that as chicks, please). This, along with a terrible accident a very dear friend went through which thankfully didn't escalate matters beyond the band losing a few gigs. Drummers are the life of the band, didn't anyone know? 

4th and 5th months. A sea change of perspectives in life. Starting from life itself, to God, to religion, to music, to faith, to belief. Probably came by as very dramatic for people who had to bear the brunt.

Mid year. One of the best decisions of my life to join a startup, help my friend to grow his company. No more details on that, not now at least. September - the most dreaded month turned out to be not so bad with my brother's (now bigger) family reminding that I'm indeed an uncle now. Mid October - a long yearned dream possession, finally. 

Culmination - two gigs back to back in the last few days of December.

There. That took less than ten minutes. I'm sure I've missed out on a lot of stuff. I'm sure I'm hiding a lot of ideas I've got there as well. I somehow feel thanksgiving must have been on 31st Jan rather than some weird day in November. I think I should make it a customary at least to do it, then.

A lot of things have happened, a lot of shit has happened. Let the bad things be, and so be the good things (I really can't forget anything important, bad or good). Whatever happened was for at least one good reason, which I don't know in entirety as of today. And for the people who made it all happen, most of who won't even read this blog, I owe it all to you people. You guys are the best.

Quite a new year blog there. Phew!
Had to make it a little different for entering the 8th year in succession.