Poetry: I am conscious and blissful, the auspicious one.

The sublime message of inner world that cannot be communicated with the help of pros, can beautifully be presented in the form on poetry. In one of such a glorious verse in Sanskrit, the proponent of Advaita Philosophy, Adi Shankara recited about his authentic and blissful nature. In these wonderful verses, the 8th century Saint attempted to negate his false Self and point at his own eternal conscious blissful Self. The mystics tell us that whatever you can see or witness with the help of your senses, cannot be you or your authentic Self. For example, you see your ears, your nose, your body, so you are not this body. In this manner, the Saint depicted the glory of the eternal conscious blissful Self.

[Mano budhyahankara chithaa ninaham, Na cha vyoma bhoomir na thejo na vayu,
Chidananada Roopa Shivoham, Shivoham.]

If there is one God, then why are there so many religions?

The younger generation, who thinks by logic, often ask a question that if there is one God, then why are there so many religions? This question often comes with a valid supporting argument that Science is universal, scientific facts are universal – for example, gravity acts in same way on everything, properties of matter are universal, then why can’t the religions agree on one universal God ?

Let me begin by telling a parable.  Six blind men were asked to determine what an elephant looked like by feeling different parts of the elephant's body. The blind man who felt a leg said the elephant is like a pillar; the one who felt the tail said the elephant is like a rope; the one who felt the trunk said the elephant is like a tree branch; the one who felt the ear said the elephant is like a hand fan; the one who felt the belly said the elephant is like a wall; and the one who felt the tusk said the elephant is like a solid pipe.  There was a conflict among them. But finally a wise man resolved the conflict by telling them, “All of you are right. The reason every one of you is telling it differently is because each one of you touched the different part of the elephant. So, actually the elephant has all the features you mentioned.”