The road inwards to faith
Jan 25 2008 | Views 105 |
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Tags: neer agni vayu gagan bhoomi five elements literary treasure ancient scriptures Blogprint
Tags: neer agni vayu gagan bhoomi five elements literary treasure ancient scriptures Blogprint
“Experiences are like sieves, sifting us daily. We leave behind our reactions to it and come out of it richer with precious flecks of learning.”
Exploring literature is also such an experience. The entire content may become hazy in time but the wisdom one gleans, is eternal. Like the time I read an article on ‘Vaastu’, which had defined the word ‘Bhagvaan’, asan acronym. I quote,
“The universe, including every living form is made up of five elements, the earth, water, fire, air and space. These elements are related to our senses of smell, taste, hearing, touch and sight. In fact, the word ‘Bhagvaan’ itself is composed of the five elements. ‘Bh’ Bhoomi. ‘A’ Agni, ‘G’ Gagan, ‘V’ Vaayu, and ‘N’ Neer.”
With the rising intolerance among people, we often doubt the existence and authenticity of ‘Bhagvaan’. This question boggled me quite early in life. Nothing satisfied me as an acceptable answer. So as a rebellion I inclined towards atheism. After 20 yrs in quest, I found a path of exploration in a most unassuming moth-eaten literary treasure on my bookshelf, which was casually lying there for my discovery. Probably ‘Bhagvaan’ himself left it when I needed the assurance the most.
This simple definition of an acronym totally threw my perception of ‘Bhagvaan’ off gear. It enticed my atheist mind into the heart of spirituality. I soon found out that its not an independent theory but has been mentioned in the ancient scriptures. It defines the importance of nature in Hinduism. I started an introspective journey to get a clearer picture. Thus one definition of the acronym ‘Bhagvaan’ has illuminated my universe and cut through my ennui like the blades of sunlight slicing the dark thickets. All that I narrate is a personal opinion and experience. I do not wish to hurt anyone’s sentiments or flout any other learning. But leave this question with everyone who is a seeker like me.
To experience what I felt, I request the reader that whenever you encounter the word ‘Bhagwan’, in this piece, think of it as an acronym. I would also re-iterate that ‘Bhagwan’ here is not a literal translation of the word ‘God’, as an entity, or a figure or an idol. Instead it has a deeper connotation, akin to “the all-mighty and all powerful” universe and everything that is part of it.
My first reaction to this amazing definition was of awe and then admiration and respect for our ancestors to have so cleverly coined an acronym that explained the entire universe and its existence. I don’t claim to be enlightened overnight. Neither do I undermine the penance of the ascetics, nor can I say that, I have simply got through literature, what learned men achieved in years of meditation. I can only say that while beating about the bush I just tumbled upon a new path. And if all paths lead to the same almighty, then for me, my path has opened a new era of understanding and consciousness.
The newfound awareness was like getting a whole new set of senses. My search for a definition of ‘Bhagvaan’ came to a point where I had to unlearn the definition of god, and take a ‘leap of faith’. As the initial amazement wore off, thousands of questions sparked in my mind. The answers started a chain reaction of questions. My once “proud-in-its-prowess” intellect, was on the verge of a short circuit. Luckily the ambiguity of earlier definitions of god and my skepticism took over. Instead of totally disregarding the possibilities, I paused to evaluate the probabilities. Often we look into every nook and corner for an answer and fail to notice the obvious. Remember ‘when Americans were busy developing the zero gravity ink-pen, the Russians simply took a pencil to space’.
Of the three hurdles to learning, I had already crossed the first, by conceding, “I don’t know.” Next was to clean the cobwebs of preconceived beliefs, prejudices, half-baked wisdom and distorted perception. That was a big hurdle. To overcome that, I cleansed my psyche systematically, avoiding any raw nerve of religious sentiments. Once I achieved that, I was ready for the final step, i.e. Prepare for a total culture shock. My inquisitive mind stopped asking, ‘What is it?’ Instead was curious, “What if it is?” I expanded my viewfinder, like an adventurer at the threshold of a path-breaking discovery. I examined the hypothesis and eliminated each reservation until I was convinced of exploring the definition before disregarding it.
I became conscious that, according to that definition NOW everything I see, hear or touch is ‘Bhagvaan’. I never accepted anything at its face value. My mother taught me as a child, “don’t be rude to anyone as ‘Bhagvaan’ lives inside everybody’s heart”. Earlier it troubled me -- How can an idol be inside anyone? Now I got a new pair of eyes. Everything around me was smiling and speaking to me. The air I breathed, the grass I walked on, the flower I plucked, the water I drank, the little thorn that hurt me, the lilies the cow ate, the stone I picked up to chase it away and even the cow herself; or any other animal around, the insects, rocks, food, colors, music, the heat, rain, thunder, the dust, and the cold and even the ether, the space was just a part of ‘Bhagvaan’.
I believe in the elements so now I am a believer in ‘Bhagvaan’. I believe all the physical names and entities assigned to the elements. I believe in Indra- lord of the sky, Varun- lord of water, Agni- lord of fire, Pawan-lord of air. I don’t need to expound on their importance for Prithvi-the earth. Now they are not just bedecked handsome mythological idols with blissful faces, but the forces of this universe that create, sustain and destroy life on earth.
The eternal trinity of Hinduism is no longer a puzzle. The creator Bramha lived hundred years, each year equivalent to thousands of man-years. The universe also lives for thousands of man-years and dies into a black hole. Does that mean that Bramha the lord of knowledge IS the universe or the sky, the space that holds this earth in its womb? And the preserver Vishnu, lives in the water, air and earth which sustains us; The destroyer Shiva, is in fire that returns us back to the universe!
Is that why Krishna revealed the universe in his mouth, to Arjun, when he said, “No religion is mine and I am the only religion”. Did he want us humans to serve the entire universe regarding it as our only religion?
My atheist mind has opened up hundreds of windows of possibilities. I revere the mountains, the massive snow peaks, and rocks, rivers, trees, planets, earth and animals as ‘Bhagvaan’. I respect the stones and rocks that form the undulating world, for standing strong and immovable, so that I can walk on it, or make it a shield against raging elements; To provide cave shelters for my fellow creatures and me.
But all stones aren’t steadfast. Some tumble down to become pebbles that willingly accept defeat to bring me the rivers. I worship the river to let me drink and bathe in it. When I offer her water to the Sun god Surya, my silent prayer tells him, “Drink this water and rain it on my fields where I can’t take the river with me”. I climb up the mountains and reach the peaceful heights to reach deeper within me, to realize the strength and aptitude of my mind. I worship the snow, as eventually that snow will become a river.
I see people worshipping idols of lord Shiva made with river pebbles and clay. I see their prayers in the humble pebbles and clay, thanking them for our huts and ovens. With rituals like lying on the ground and kissing the earth, I see people thanking mother earth for remaining firm. I see people tying strings, on the banyan tree thanking it for shade and shelter. I see prayers in the strings, to protect the stem that gives us wood. The wood that burns to provide warmth, food, security and my pyre. The pyre, which disperses me back to the universe where I belong. And when I disperse myself to dust and merge in these elements I leave, for another human form to take my place.
I now believe in endless forms of worshipping the universe. I see clay or wood ‘Bhagvaan’ and I know somewhere deep in the heart of that idol there’s universe pulsating with life, hope and dependability. For every ritual I worship these deities of the elements and I keep the five elements of the universe as a witness to it. I select a date consulting the movements of the cosmos. I invoke not only the powerful presence of these celestial entities, but also the predestined part of my existence. The undeniable truth, that has reformed and recreated itself, yet is ever permanent. I light a hawan, a lamp for fire; burn incense honoring the presence of air, I adorn the earth and the idols with flowers and sandalwood all born on earth. I bathe the idol with water and milk of animals. I bring in the entire universe in every ritual to invoke the all-mighty.
I also harmonize my senses. I see the image, hear the bell, and smell the incense and eat the fruits of earth as an offering of ‘Bhagvaan’. I sit facing east to get vigor from the rising sun; I avoid sleeping north -- south, to avoid conflict between the magnetic fields of the earth and my body. I apply sandalwood on my forehead to cool my third eye, and with folded hands I enclose the entire energy field of my body within myself.
Yet one question remains a mystery. Why would our ancestors leave an acronym? If the definition is so simple then why didn’t they profess, “Worship the universe”? Why create an imaginary entity and endless mythology surrounding it to be revered and worshipped as god?
Probably our ancestors understood man very well. ‘Bhagvaan’ is not one single element but an amalgamation of five. If everything on earth is composed of five elements then even ‘Man’ is a part of ‘Bhagvaan’. Logically then every thing composed of this amalgamation is ‘Bhagvaan’. If they had said, “Worship the universe”, ‘Man’ would have definitely questioned - what can the mute planets, stars, trees or river do? How can they decide my fate?
Born an animal with instincts to survive, hunt, eat, reproduce and preserve, Man, evolved and developed into a level much higher than the rest of the living kind. It recognized it curiosity, imagination, creativity, innovation, and expansion. It is confident of its commanding presence on earth. If this ever-changing universe is like an amoeba and every element in it are like its cells; among these cells Man feels that he is the supreme one with an advanced intellect and speech.
May be that’s why our wise ancestors perceived that the human form is actually the most potent to become ‘Bhagvaan’. And if ‘Man’ realizes that he himself is ‘Bhagvaan’ then power hungry man, might misuse his presumed supremacy over other --‘so called mute and inanimate’, beings of nature.
Perhaps that’s why human forms of these elements were conceived. Man is perishable and to be worthy of faith, ‘Bhagvaan’ needs to be an eternal entity. So images of invincible supermen were created to whom we could lean on for support. Probably that is why the human form idol was created as a preordained plan to worship man. Also rituals involved worshipping all other supporting elements from nature as well as animals as vahanas. So that man can never destroy these elements. The gods, like Indra, Varun, Pawan, Agni etc, were human forms but lived on a higher plane and were much powerful unlike the flesh and blood man.
When a man through his sheer power of tolerance, unconditional love and forgiveness, becomes ‘Bhagvaan’ he realizes this true potential. They realized their responsibility towards the universe and unconditionally loved each and every being on this earth to become ‘Bhagvaan’ in true sense. Their tolerance, kindness and love are worthy of worship.
I think our ancestors realized that man is not just a manifestation of ‘Bhagvaan’, but in himself he holds a tremendous strength to become ‘Bhagvaan’. If they had said, “Son of man, you yourself can become ‘Bhagvaan’ as you have the potential. Worship yourself”-- it would have definitely turned man into a megalomaniac. Only the wisest would respect this power. So they left this acronym for the common man. They let the wise one understand and accept his power through introspection and meditation and use it judiciously.
Only the wise ‘Man’ knows that he will cease to exist if he tampers with any of the other elements. Everything in this Universe is “all-mighty and all-powerful and is worth worshipping”. And none can survive without the other.I now understand my faith much better.
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