Heaven and hell

I had an interesting conversation with one of my new friends today. He shared a thought that moved me profoundly. And I wonder why it never occurred to me before!
Are heaven and hell just different states of our post-life conscience or ethereal liberation? Do they only refer to the way we feel when we die and come to terms with our true selves? Is heaven the sense of satisfaction or serenity that's experienced by a compassionate and guilt-free soul? Is hell nothing but the remorse of a sinful spirit?

Seems plausible...

God - beyond religions

He is everything there is, everything there can be...

And yet he's so mine. Totally mine.

I can converse with him at the dirtiest of locations.. And you know what, he doesn't mind.. I love him 'coz he never requires me to visit temples or follow rituals.. He pats on my back when I do something good.. Yet, he saves me from an overdose of pride and perpetuates my desires to achieve further.. He fills me with guilt when I do something wrong.. But also gives me the chance to correct and improve myself.. He rarely makes me feel that I'm special.. And still makes sure that I don't feel like a loser..

To me God is matter.
To me He is energy.
And to me He is the link between the matter and energy.
He is what created the universe.
He is what runs the universe.
He is what the universe is.
He is everything there is, everything there can ever be...

That's my hypothesis. And if it's true, I should be able to love everything, good or bad, alike.

Laws of spirituality

Religion is a thing of the past. Science is the new fashion. What we ignore, however, is how these two concepts integrate.

My ability to appreciate science makes me believe that our spiritual world must be driven by some laws.

I don't think God sits at the door of heaven to perform background check on individuals and grant entry to a dream holiday. I don't accept that he hires people to torture sinners. I don't agree that he hates the non-believers. (If he did, why would he give them the brains to be non-believers in the first place!) And I don't believe he keeps a track of who's consuming non-veg on Tuesdays, or who enters the temple during menses. Someone/Something so majestic cannot possibly dislike his own creation. What he could possibly do is assign some spiritual laws that guide our lives like the physical laws that guide the world.

We got to be scientific in our enquiry of the truth!

Bhagavad Gita - My favorite shloka

Karmanye Vadhikaraste Ma Phaleshu Kadachana,
Ma Karma Phala Hetur Bhurmatey Sangostva Akarmani.

(Your right is only over the actions; never over the results. Don't let the results of the action be your motive; neither let there be any attachment to inaction.)

Inarguably, one of the most well-known shloka from Bhagavad Gita! Very few people understand its depth and the weight though. Some say it's wierd; some believe it's meaningless. I feel that it's the essence of life.

From the perspective of a lost corporate:
The shloka says that I must passionately pursue my job to the level that's in my hands. It means I must deliver my project to the best of my capability, not for the joy of appreciation or promotion, but for the 'pleasure of doing and achieving'. It suggests that the appreciation/promotion should not be my motive to work and that the detachment from the results should not make me any less committed than I should be.

It may sound very impractical, but has great applicability. Einstein or Vinci did not struggle all their lives to win a place in the history. They could not have reached that stage of enlightenment by chasing fame. They succeeded because they discovered their joy in what they did. They became great by falling in love with their work.

Of course, long term success, if at all, can be attained only by dedicating oneself to work. The learning, experience and growth follow from there. Also, practising detachment from positive or negative results, while maintaining the perseverance takes us to the highest levels of mind-control. Wouldn't that be victory in true sense!

I seriously believe that Gita is an ocean of wisdom. Successfully digesting even a drop of it changes my attitude naturally. Worth a try people!!

A Hindu by origin. A secular by choice.

If you do not believe in the historical existence of Shri Rama, are you not a Hindu?
If you refuse to observe fasts in the month of Ramadan, are you not a true Muslim?
If you love your short bangs, are you defying the ideals of Vaahe Guru?

I don't agree on these questions with a majority of believers.

I seek to separate true knowledge from blind faith.
I seek to figure out the differences and similarities among religions.
I seek to discover the essence of all the beliefs.

My posts to follow contain my views on religions. And I understand that it's a sensitive domain to venture into. Please pardon me if I hurt any of you. I only wish to stimulate a logical thinking on this forbidden topic.