Yesterday, I visited the Swaminarayan temple for a Diwali evening prayer. I was surprised to see so many Gujaratis. The temple was full of people even at 7 PM.

But what caught my attention is the facilities and so many volunteers guiding and helping people, and the people themselves behaving properly, even in such a big crowd. I have seen such discipline, even when they had that 150 years festival in Gandhinagar in 1992.

But what makes me sad, is that the same people, who follow all the rules of civic manner, maintain cleanliness and orderliness, do not behave in the same way once they are out of temple premises.

I am not talking of any particular group of people or sect, I am talking about we Indians at whole. We do not mind obeying the rules in religious places, but do not mind breaking them once we are out of that place. We are fearful of sin, but not fearful of the law.

In India, I rarely go to temples, but I have heard mixed response of different temples. The EMI temple in Vadodara is very organized and clean. I do not have the recollection of Ambaji temple, as I was too small when I visited it. But I have read or heard about some temples, that it discourages or takes away your faith from religion as whole.

Why can't we treat nationality, or respect for our nation, to be our religion and treat and respect our country in same manner. Why can't we behave same way in public, as we would behave in a temple? We are afraid of hell or sin, of which we have heard of, never experienced, but not afraid of the law, which is real or in large sense, morality, which impacts ourseleves, people near to ourselves and society as large.

We won't mind spitting on a wall, but as soon as a picture of God is drawn on it, we refrain from spitting or urinating on it. We will use the dustbin to throw a piece of paper, will put our shoes in proper places, will follow all the normal rules. But once we are out of temple, we forget, that rules of cleanilness and orderliness still apply.

I think countries like USA prosper from the fact, that they pride in being American themselves. For them being American is as important as being Christian. For us, I believe being Hindu is more important than being Indian. Isn't it the time, that both the priorities should be equal?

Firstly, I think you are taking a very myopic view of the whole situation - saying that only Indians do that. Human being by nature is afraid of religion and god than of law, whether he be an Indian or an American, or Chinese or European or African........

Secondly - since human being are human beings, they will err. So they are fearful of sin, but not fearful of the law - would you rather have it otherwise?

Thirdly, the origin of rules of society (you may call it rules of religion/following of God and things associated with it) was developed by learned people centuries ago because they found that normal persons do not normally understand the ill-effects of many of their actions, or habits. Hense they picked up a few things, and in the name of God, an unseen thing, created fear for those unwanted acts, and the layman started obeying those rules because of the unknown results if the rules were broken. Human being by nature is afraid of the unknown - though it might be a small thing, but not afraid of the known, even if a big thing. Hense, breaking of law comes easier to mankind than breaking rules of religion.

Chandresh

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Chandresh

Advice is free – lessons I charge for!!

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Orginally posted by chandresh

Firstly, I think you are taking a very myopic view of the whole situation - saying that only Indians do that. Human being by nature is afraid of religion and god than of law, whether he be an Indian or an American, or Chinese or European or African........

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