On my recent visit to the renowned Pashupati Nath Temple, I observed a few crucial things. One, there is this big stone just off the railing of the temple and you have throw coins at it. If you manage to make the coin stay at the surface, then you get to make a wish and it will come true. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get it to stay. Second, I noticed the amount of people that come to the temple to pray. Devotees all the way from isolated corners of Nepal to visitors from India, there were countless people. I thought about how much religion means to them. I thought about how they have traveled long and far to reach the temple in order to offer their prayers. They call themselves devoted Hindus.
To me, their dedication makes me feel two different things. One is that I feel a certain kind of respect for people who are so devoted to god, whether it be a Christian god or a Hindu god or anything else for that matter. Regardless of what religion they follow, I admire their faith and their capacity to believe in something greater than humans. But, at the same time, there are certain religious people who anger me. They are very religious, following traditions and all the ways of their culture. But, when it comes to doing something moral, they turn their backs. If a charity organization comes at their doorsteps asking for a little money, these people shoo them off and shut the door on their faces. If there is a question about sparing a few coins for a beggar, they quickly walk off avoiding any kind of contact. Is this also what their religion teaches them? To turn their backs of helpless situations? If people really want to do good in life, they will not achieve this goal by just praying all day long or chanting in the temples. They have to actually go out and go something good for the world. Then only will their religion and faith account for something.
1 comment:
Sometimes people have a reason for people to avoid beggars. In fact, I often find myself doing that (only to those little kids that run after me though) because they use it in the wrong way and when i give them food (a fruit of some kind usually) they usually just throw it in the corner and don't appreciate something that will help their body at all!
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