Today I had a difference of opinion with a friend from school days about the Indian prime minister's exhortation to the people of India to stand on their balconies today and bang metal utensils. The purpose of this exercise is to show solidarity against the coronavirus threat or to kill the virus with vibrations, depending on your scientific temperament. My first reaction was to dismiss my friend's view as unscientific. My school friends are not my ideological bedfellows, and I seldom engage in political discussions with them because I am scared of what views they may express.
But then I thought of my own belief in faith-based practices. Prior to my awakening, I flirted with a number of alternative healing techniques, some of which involved manipulating chakras and energies. Looking back, it sometimes make me cringe but I don't want to make the mistake of judging my past through the prism of the present. I consider myself a seeker and I am no blind believer in the power of reason. Life is difficult and we all must find the right balance of faith and reason that makes us feel at peace with ourselves and the world. Blind faith or blind reason can both be dangerous and must be called out. But, as with most things in life, one could do with being less judgemental of the person exhibiting what we feel is blind faith or blind reason. What spiritual tools one relies on to make life more livable is one's own business.
At a time when people and the world seem more and more irrational, suspending judgement is also a survival strategy. Because judgement brings engagement with it, and often the best strategy is to not engage with crazy for our own peace of mind.
But then I thought of my own belief in faith-based practices. Prior to my awakening, I flirted with a number of alternative healing techniques, some of which involved manipulating chakras and energies. Looking back, it sometimes make me cringe but I don't want to make the mistake of judging my past through the prism of the present. I consider myself a seeker and I am no blind believer in the power of reason. Life is difficult and we all must find the right balance of faith and reason that makes us feel at peace with ourselves and the world. Blind faith or blind reason can both be dangerous and must be called out. But, as with most things in life, one could do with being less judgemental of the person exhibiting what we feel is blind faith or blind reason. What spiritual tools one relies on to make life more livable is one's own business.
At a time when people and the world seem more and more irrational, suspending judgement is also a survival strategy. Because judgement brings engagement with it, and often the best strategy is to not engage with crazy for our own peace of mind.
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