Religion helps reflect a clear vision
Perhaps the most discussed topic across the globe today is religion and its role. That shows either we are not yet sure of its importance in life or we are scared that it is being misused and hence a reassertion to keep it in its purity of essence.
In a way, no person can say he/she is irreligious because as soon as one is born, one gets an overdose of various rites and ceremonies and grows up with their influence.
Religion is a philosophy of life, a guide to better living. It keeps one engaged in productive activities so that life becomes meaningful and one’s achievements go towards building a better and peaceful world.
New Beginnings, a book by Brahma Kumaris, says the essence and the primary role of any religion is to be a sort of “catalyst for universal unity”. But today what we see is that religion is misused and the “world is falling further into divisions and the religions themselves break up in more and more sects and groups.” That is how we give religion a bad name. Wars are fought and we have the “history of incredible paradox of armies fighting against each other, each believing that God is on their side ad that He will help them conquer the other.”
Religion has at its core, what you call in Sanskrit, “dharma”, reflecting the soul’s essential nature of peace and purity that guide one to live a life according to the principles of truth, duty and beauty, all of which are sourced from a universal power centre called God.
It is not that one must have a power centre called God around which your life should revolve. As the Buddha said, since there are so many claims and counter-claims on the existence of God, it is best left aside. But, at the same time one can’t afford to ignore one’s true self and the innate nature of its goodness and purity. One’s belief in the divinity of human soul is the right way to go in case of a dilemma. And, one should liberate one’s self from the illusions of material existence because that works as a stumbling block for an insight into the divinity inside.