Why we do What we do??

WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO???

If we have orthodox elders at home, they often keep correcting youngsters. Wash your hands before eating. Do not eat or drink with left hand, always keep glass containing water to your right side (while eating), offer food to god before your food, don't eat outside food, wash your feet after using the bathroom, light the lamp twice a day - morning and evening etc etc..

While these were diligently followed till recently, things have changed in the last 10 years. The reason is because of extensive invasion of western culture into our land. They are more easy to follow and have less discipline. Western thoughts have a lot of positive practises but we seem to be taking the wrong ones more easily and effortlessly. Children question all the rituals, they deny to follow our practises, they want a valid reason. However, many of them agree to elders if they are given a satisfying and logical reason. This is a good trend that children want to know the reason for their practises. And Hindu sastras have laid down rules and regulations with a scientific bent of mind. They are not blind faith or superstitions as wrongly understood by many. Yes, some of them are man made which are of course superstitious. But the sastras as such are definitely logical and have a reason for everything.  They have to be understood. Many of us follow without reasoning which is OK. We do many things in our lives just because others do and without reason. Then why not follow our shastras blindly at least initially. In this way, we will develop a mind to accept that what our elders tell is right.

When children ask questions to parents, parents have to take some effort in understanding why we do what we do and then explain to the child. So, the first interest and inclination must be from parents.. Children will automatically follow. If parents themselves are not inclined or show dis-interest, then why blame children.

These practises which have been laid down do not show any direct impact or result when we do or don't do. Unlike the classes that we go to like a music classe or a dance class or a sports class where one can see a visible change or a result in the form of certificates, prizes or achievements, spiritual practises do not give material benefit. Neither will you be rewarded for chanting the vishnu sahasranama daily nor will your name get published in the paper for chanting the lord's names a crore times, but it does help a person in the long run to have a correct balance of mind. He is able to face life better than others.

Actually, if you look at it in the long run, these do have a material effect also though not immediately. Every rule or regulation that is laid down earns its own fruits which will be felt in the future births. This we need to strongly believe and understand. This is the reason why all people in the world are different and no one's life is like someone else's even though they may be children of the same parent. The kind of birth, the luxuries, the struggles of life, the success, failures etc all depends on one's own karma and following what is prescribed in the shastras undoubtedly have a role to play in deciding our fate.

Following shastras makes us disciplined, calm, composed. Any situation in life can be easily handled. These are just not mere rules on the physical plane but there are rules laid down for the mind too.

Of course, many of them are difficult to follow in this KALI yuga for which we will surely accrue the fruit but those which are feasible and can be followed can be done to the extent possible.

Some small things like:

1. Light the lamp twice a day
2. Keep the main door of house open in the mornings and evenings
3. Put rangoli in front of the house everyday
4. Have an early bath everyday
5. Treats guests with courtesy
6. Girls wear bindhis always
7. Wear decent dresses
8. Do your studies in the early hours
9. Meditate or spend in loneliness at least for a few minutes everyday and introspect about the day's activities
10. The way one has to conduct during times of death, birth.
11. Do namaskaram to elders and guru on special occasions

What I have pointed out is only a few (a drop in the ocean)...We can know more..And it all starts off with the true belief that what our elders have told us is definitely good  for our welfare. Curiosity in order to know the right thing is a good attitude but a curiosity to just prove someone wrong will not take us anywhere. And I hope through my blog, I will reason out "why we do what we do"

RAM RAM