In the garden

I was in the garden. It was a nice moment of the twilight of the early summer. The trees were gently waving their leaves as if accompanying me and expressing their delights because I was calmly seated on the large green coloured bench that perfectly matched  with the carpet weaved by green grass . The gentle breeze blowing and the chirrups of birds were creating a tune of joy and peace within me. For a long time I remained silent and enjoying the beautiful ambiance.

Suddenly two handsome gentle men opened the gate of my garden and saw they were approaching towards me. I was trying to recognize them. But soon became sure I never met them.

          – “Hi! Good evening.” One of them greeted with smile.

          –  But I can’t…… I stuttered.

          – Yes, you’re right. You never met us. But we know you very well. I’m Mr. Belief and he is Mr. Reason.

          – But I didn’t send any invitation … I found no other words.

          – Yes, we know that, but you are thinking of us for a few days so we decided to pay you a surprise visit.

For a few days, I was in a dilemma whether one should follow belief with reason or without reason. Is there any contradiction between belief and reason? What is a better- belief or reason? These questions were tormenting me for a few days.

The man who introduced himself as Mr. Belief said to me –

• You see everyone get relief who accepts me without any question. I bring peace and strength for him. I’m easy to access. My path is very smooth and though you get hurdles on the way you will not be frustrated. So I’m always beneficial to all. For these reasons people always accept me everywhere.

Now the other man, a wrinkle-faced with broad eyes, beaming sharpness in his look, opened mouth.

• “You know very few persons go with me. Because I ask everyone to think on any matter which they act or follow in their life. I know well that  it is not very easy to go with me. In every bend of my path is full of hurdles –hurdles that make one to think logically. Since the dawn of civilization the persons who have caught my hand was successful to contribute the mankind for the advancement of civilization. But you should think that I recommend forgetting Mr. Belief. Never, never – because I ultimately take everyone to Mr. Belief. So I request everyone first enter the castle I built up for many years- the road of which meets ultimately the original castle of Mr. Belief. Actually we are made for each other. But when people try to meet Mr. Belief ignoring me that gives confrontation of notions and ideas which many times create bad effects on the society.”  The man stopped for a while and I saw a gentle smile becoming prominent on the face of Mr. Belief.

• I know you will be in confusion if I lengthen the discussion, so to concise I simply refer one very simple but very powerful point and that is religion. 

There are theists who out numbers atheists, agnostics. The religion had and has will have a great role in civilization directly and indirectly.  You see the whole world is now at stake because of terrorism. The terrorists make crime but to them, their activities are justified because they live on a belief that whatever they are doing it is as per the direction of the Almighty and these are a part of their duty. They avoid me and go to the castle of a pseudo-Mr. Belief. The common men become terrorists. They have not come from any other planets. The men who want power use the common men in the name of a religion or an ideology.  No religions or true ideology ask anyone to make harm to others. But they can be misguided easily as they go away from me. They never think that a religion can exist without me because it’s a philosophy and every philosophy which leads to truth has to enter my castle first then automatically they find the way to go to Mr Belief.

Do you know why the common men go to church, temples or other such places! Because with some exceptions most of them think it is God who will fulfill their desires, desires to have their materialistic benefits. Not to get Him in their life. They are afraid and dubious on their self effort. So they go to that places where they think their prayers will be granted.  They even pray to Him for any activities of their daily life. They donate money so that God fulfills his desires.

Whenever they feel necessary they remind Him.  As for example, there are many who when they start the engines of their cars silently pray to Him so that he can reach the destination safely.

But you see when he drives in spite his prayer he tries to be very careful and keeps attention on the road. This is what I want to say. Here the man asks Mr. Belief and me both to accompany him.

You see there are many great sayings of the great men and prophets which they realized within them and share with us so that we may get the right track for the benefit of us as well as the society. But what we do! We simply use to quote the sentence only as we don’t realize the reasons behind it, so we don’t believe it, and though we think we believe but we don’t follow it in personal life.  The saints, the prophets, great men always search the truth. Truth has no rigid platform. The platform changes its position when someone can scale another higher pick the platform which once set by some great thinkers automatically is  shifted there. There is nothing absolute so we have to continue the search.  So I’m always ready to grip the hands who want to search. You have to kindle the lamp of search within yourself.

My path is a razor’s edge. One side of which unfathomable gorge of blind belief, that is dogmatism and the other side is the gorge of frustration. So many persons do not prefer my path. They rely on common beliefs which they inherit by birth and from the cultures of the society they belong to. What is the good of tormenting my brain ?-everyone thinks so.

I was gradually becoming bored with his lengthy monologues. To stop the man I said- “Please let’s go to room and have tea. I’m lucky enough that both of you spent so much time for me. I’m thankful to both of you.”

Suddenly Jimmy barked. I became curious and tried to look for what happened. Astonishingly I understood that I was in the nap and what was going on so long that was nothing but a dream.