One of my very young and loyal reader sent me an email after reading this post, which I wrote a couple of months back. She asked me if I was raised in a religious family? I have deliberated over and over in my head whether I should write about it on the blog or not. But considering it has been on my mind for about 2 months now, it is a clear indication that I ought to write it and get it out of my system.
So, to answer her question – Yes! I was raised in a religious family. My grand parents were religious, traditional and conservative. My grandmother was a little more forward-thinking in comparison to my grand father though. All my relatives, aunts and uncles, my parents, … everyone I have ever known through my family has been religious and god abiding.
Like most children, I didn’t have a choice. I was religious as a by-product of being brought up in a religious household. I prayed. I followed the rites and rituals. I went to the temple every week. I did everything a ‘religious’ person is supposed to do. Mostly because that’s what I was taught from the day I was born.
I stopped going to the temple every week sometime in 2003. I stopped following the rites and rituals sometime in 2008 and I started believing in ‘nothing’ sometime around 2009. No drastic incident happened. No one changed me. Or influenced me. I just started thinking differently. I started thinking for myself ... and this is what I think today: Greatest power lies within ourselves. Our brain is the best source of energy. Whether we turn it into positive or negative, it is completely up to us. I believe in humanity. I being in doing good and behaving fair, not because there is karma, or because God is watching me, but because it is the right thing to do. I also believe in standing up for myself when wrong is done to me. I believe in equality. I believe in treating others the way I wish to be treated. I believe in having no regrets. I believe in hard work. I believe in living life “Queen” size. I believe in being who I am.
So am I not religious anymore? I don’t know. I am secular though. I find peace when I am at a temple, or at a church. My favorites are gurudwara and mosque, especially because they are kept so clean. Whoever said ‘cleanliness is next to godliness’, knew what they were talking about. But I do not believe that just praying will solve anything or asking God for things will make it happen. However, I do not judge anyone who believes so. Everyone has his or her faith. I choose to put my faith in myself. I believe my conscience will always guide me to the right path.
Top - Part of this dress [12'] Similar
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