Sipra's Diary :What Fault In Christianity?

 

In   Christmas holiday of 2009, we planned to go for a trip outside Mumbai But at that peak season of tourism, neither any ticket nor any decent hotel was available at that last moment My daughter searched franatically on the internet and at last found out some "odd-place" for Holiday. It was "Sivananda Ashram" at Neymar-dam, in Kerala. Not for tourists but for pilgrims; There also the only dormitory was available  We determined not to vegetate in Mumbai. So we were desperately ready to take the adventure of experiencing the odd and completely unknown place. I  was interested in the place as I  was impressed by reading the book of Swami  Sivananda quite long ago.

Neyyar dam is a small exotic village surrounded by hills and lush green, near Trivandrum. The Ashram was on the top of the hill, by the side of the deep large lake. On the other side of the lake a  lion -reserve where they were roaring now and then to entertain the guests.
The Ashram has a  beautiful temple decorated with art and painting, a chapel,two-storied hall for yoga-centre, a huge dining hall with a big kitchen and several buildings with rooms and dormitories for the guests. Swami Natarajan, an Australian man was the then president. All the sectors of the ashram were mostly run by volunteers who were Christians from all over the western world. Only Indians other than me, were   3/4 volunteers, several brahmin priests in the temple, cooks in the kitchen, and some native labours.
I was surprised to see so many foreign devotees, most of them young, in that remote village which was unknown to most of the Indians. They were singing and chanting in Sanskrit so accurately that I felt ashamed for my inefficiency. By asking I came to know from  European ladies that they were attached to the centre since long ago  There are many centres of  this Institution  too throughout the western world. They have taken 'Diksha' from Swamiji. As they had practised for a long time, they didn't feel Sanskrit as hard language 
I noticed how devotionally, after taking an early-morning- bath, these Christians were performing meditation, listening scriptures, doing yoga, prayer-songs dedicatedly from 5'0 clock morning.

I pondered why these Christians are so much inclined to Hinduism? However, I celebrated the best Christmas  of life and 31st December in Neyaardam with this global community;
On asking about their interest of coming,  most of them answered that they got profundity, and touch of spirituality in that place; the dry sermon of Sunday Bible reading failed to quench their thirst for soul-searching.

I wish sometimes I will write about Neyaardam and Paradise Island of Bahama in my travelogue.
In 2012   I went in Sivananda ashram of  paradise island, in Bahama, to celebrate 7-days'retreat during Christmas holidays Here also except 3/4 Indians,the rest were western, mostly young, came for taking 6 weeks' theoretical and practical spiritual training courses of yoga which ended with the exam before the Christmas retreat.

280 trainees came in that year. For excess accommodation, rented tent system was available.
 I was fortunate to be close to a global community. I have a curiosity about religion. I took Bible classes a few years back. In 2014 I took admission to Fordham University in Bible courses of Prof Shafer who was from Harvard.

 I  immersed myself in studying the Bible. As  I went deep and deeper, the realization dawned on me that in the nascent stage of humanity there was only one religion based on two instincts: Fear and  Hope which are still chasing human race but in different dimensions.

It was Land and Language which changed the colour and essence of religion influenced by the then powerful monarchs of the lands like Rome  Turkey, Babylon  Britain etc.

The Bible, especially the New Testament, is full of allegory and metaphors to keep safe and secured from the tyrant monarchs   who were a potential terror to acknowledge the supremacy of any power over them. The priests, in fear and for self-interest acted as the agents of the monarchs and not for the sake of religion at all.

.Christianity, the Gospels were too modern and scientific religion to be conceivable by commoners at that time. Then several hundred years were spent on the tug of war over monopolizing the Christianity between Constantinople and Byzantine, between the western and the Muslims.  History of blood-stained Crusade is an eternal disgraceful black chapter to not only to European history but to mankind as a whole.

The essence of  Religion remained unexplored, due to the long gap of the culture of the Religion during the crusade;  Only the dry shell of the Gospel was left for daily Sunday Bible reading as a monotonous ritual in the church. ..Perhaps,  very few enlightened priests or bishops were left to bear the rich legacy of spirituality to be embedded for the future generation. 

The church has less young and intellectual devotees and more seniors and blind orthodox devotional attendees. This is not desirable; The fault is not in Christianity, but in arousing interest in Christianity, failure to hold on the unquenchable faith of the restless youth.

In the course of time, the young Christian generation of 21 st century, started to search outside the church to quench their thirst for spirituality.

   How to get back the present young and the future generation back to the church?
Christianity needs to be revived by prominent spiritual thinkers and Christian leaders. It is high time to reflect on some of Jesus' most provocative questions find new life and meaning in the modern context of the restless world.

    I have started a small step in this project with vigorous effort.
I would like to explore it further.

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Sipra's Diary : (RE),,,,,,Entrapreneur of Planning Own Obituary as next career.

 

Entrepreneurs of planning own obituary as next career.

A few weeks ago I saw some mail recommended by Linked-in that stated “to the planning of your own obituary as next career move. 

The caption sounded unusual and satiric, rather than ‘macabre’to me.

Life is like a string stretched and hooked to two points named birth and death; multicoloured lights of dreams and desires clung to that string; some are as bright as neon while others blink like tuna-bulb; some of which focus and inspire life-force, and some are fused to create a patch of darkness.

Thinking about own obituary means how I wish my death should be celebrated; planning to prepare before it actually happens.  There are already plenty of thoughtful benefits in America and all over civilized western European countries such as Medicare, Medicaid, Life Insurance policy, social securities etc.; aren’t these facilities enough assurance for pre-obituary planning?  I think

Persons with a positive outlook always think how to lead life wisely and meaningfully Which is most important. My father-in-law often used to quote "To die is natural, and to live is a wonder." We all know that we will die; still, we aspire for living up to our last breathe.

‘ Cowards die many times before death’. Death or loss of life makes us totally free from pain or pleasure. 

Why one should torture and spoil the present moment on planning for ‘obituary’?  Who cares ‘life after death ’like the ancient Egyptians? The concept of ‘obituary’ perhaps came from that time on the belief that there was still a subtle ‘life’ after death.I am very much influenced by the idea of  Hindu philosophy that believes that death indicates the new beginning of life and not the end of life .we put on new clothes when the old one is torn; likewise when life ceases from the physical body, , soul changes a new one  from the old body.  In that sense, we are basically immortal.

So let death come peacefully; whether silent or slow or sudden.I heard stories that in olden days people who didn’t have children  (who bears the responsibility of obituary rituals), they used to perform all  the rituals and celebrate their own  obituary during their life-time. In Bengali it is called ”Jiyotkarma (Live-obituary) They  did so because they used to believe that without obituary soul could not be free from the bondage of body. 

There is a good joke: once a lusty and prodigal man was celebrating a party with friends on a boat-trip; Suddenly Spirit of Death appeared before him and announced, ”I have come to take you. “

“Why, at this odd time?”

“Because your time is up!”

   He asked in timorous voice, “What do you mean by ‘time is up’?  ‘I did not get any notice!” 

He Got so nervous that the glass of wine dropped from his hand on the floor. 

 With trembling voice he tried to convince,-

“See, my head,-- not bald ,still enough hair; all my teeth are intact; to convince his youth, he showed the teeth like Colgate Ad; Then coming nearer to  the spirit of Death like a toddler, whispered the man, “see, why all these beautiful women are waiting? Because they enjoy my company ,  Hmm!”

He appealed ' Let  not spoil this  pleasurable moment ;Come to join us. 
As he turned towards the women his body thudded lifeless on the carpet.
>>>>>>>