“Do you believe in GOD?” a Western atheist friend asked me.
“Your question to me is incomplete, irrelevant and unessential…” I said.
“Why is it incomplete?”
“There are many concepts and beliefs about GOD. So, first, you have to explain your concept of GOD and then ask the question – Do you believe in ‘this’ concept of god?”
“I believe in NO-GOD…”he said, “but how come the question is irrelevant?”
“I don’t have to subscribe to any beliefs, that’s why. You already have a set belief. Belief has nothing to do with truth. And, whether you believe in it or not, TRUTH doesn’t change…”
“But why is it unessential?”
“For, I am a practicing Hindu. The idea of believing in god is alien to us. Our ancestors and scriptures did not teach us to believe or dis-believe. We are asked to seek truth and experience the GOD…”
“How can we experience the god?”
“Once, a salt doll went to measure the depth of the ocean. It wanted to tell others how deep the water was. “What are you” asked the salt doll.”Come in and see” replied the Ocean with a smile. So the salt doll waded in. The doll started dissolving in the water. The further it went; the more it dissolved till there was only a pinch of it left. Before the last bit dissolved the doll exclaimed in ecstasy,” Now I realized what I am”. It didn’t understand what the ocean is, but it realized what the “I” is. So, you can realize what you are, the limitations of you before dissolving into GOD”
“Why can’t a believer or non-believer in GOD experience it?” he asked.
“Any belief is based on a concept. Concepts are limited by the boundaries of mind. The concept conditions the believer’s mind. The conditioned-mind (ego or ‘I’) would always want to justify, judge, substantiate, analyse or interpret the set of beliefs and images that he/she has, rather than experiencing the real experience. If a person frees from the conditioning and earnestly searches like the salt doll, he/she can experience the beauty and love of GOD.” I said.
(With inputs from my article: “Do you believe in GOD” (https://udaypai.in/?p=135) — in India.
By
Udaylal Pai
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