10. Places of worship : embodiment of faith
According to Hindu scriptures, there are 320 million Gods though many believe that Brahma is the Supreme One . Muslims worship Allah , the Christians are the devotees of Jesus Christ and so on.
A church holds mass ceremony , has parts of it dedicated to distinguished saints and has figures of Lord Jesus and Mother Mary. Temples are abode of idols of Shiva, Durga , Ganesh , Vishnu and so on. There are many ceremonial practices held inside them and they attract devotees throughout the year. Sikhs visit the Gurudwara and remember the life and times of Guru Nanak. Muslims read their Namaz at a mosque and offer prayer to Allah.
Places of worship bring people closer to the Almighty. It provides them with peace of mind .
9. Religious doctrines : Divine beacon of light
The holy books or scriptures serve as a cardinal source of guidance for many of us. It is not mandatory for people to stick only to the wise-talk provided in their own religious books. One can always venture out and seek guidance from other religious doctrines too.
An amalgamation of all such meaningful advice will enhance one’s knowledge and lead to a better understanding of religion , themselves and most importantly the world which shelters them.
8. Man-Woman : One for the other
Imagine a world full of men, without a trace of women and vice versa . It must have surely sent ripples across your mind. Men and women complement each other. Women essay the role of a caring mother , a loving wife/girlfriend , an encouraging sister.On the other hand, men play their part of an affectionate father , a pampering brother and a protective husband/boyfriend . At the same time both men and women prove to be dependable friends.
It is said in the Bible that God created man/Adam in his own image and then went on to create woman/Eve from the rib of Adam. Oftentimes, this view has invited sharp criticism tagging it as downright misogynistic . Yet, if one believes in the theory of God creating mankind , one cannot overlook the fact that He created both the sexes to be a pillar of strength for one another and also for procreation.
7. Nature : A prized possession
Be it the mighty Himalayas or the roaring Amazon ; the enigmatic Pacific Ocean or the resplendent Sahara desert . These glorious epitomes of natural beauty do not cease to leave us awe-struck.
These places have been present since time immemorial and no man can ever think of either altering them or imitating one of these masterpieces. So, is it not fair then to term them as creations of the Almighty God ?
In contrast to man-made buildings , they have not required repair work and exists unperturbed so far.
For aesthetic reasons and various other purposes , these natural resources remain our top priority . Hence , we should not indulge in activities that may somewhat dim their glory.
6. Fellow-beings : the Flora and the Fauna
Humans are considered as social animals and the most rational among all living beings on earth. Animals,plants and birds bring that much-needed variety to our existence.
It is said that God has assigned us the role of a guardian , in an effort to safeguard the diverse genetic pool of several other species.It is essential for maintaining the food chain on earth.
Trees beautify our surroundings and provide us with oxygen . Some animals stay at our homes as pets and become a member of our families.
5. Art and literature : Seeking inspiration from the Almighty
Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained by John Milton , Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri , The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown , The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins , Devi by Devdutt Pattanaik, Muhammad: A Biography of the Prophet by Karen Armstrong and the list goes on.
These works and many others have drawn inference from the concept of God either subtly or in great detail .
The Greek gods serve as an important subject for film-makers and painters even today. With films like Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief and Clash of The Titans , classical mythology continues to capture the imagination of one and all.
4. Wisdom : Know thy mind
Think wise and act wiser. This is the mantra one should adopt for a fruitful existence .
One can pose a question on how God contributes to our wisdom . So, here is the answer to it.
Remember the story from the Bible about God planting the Tree of Knowledge in the garden of Eden ? Adam and Eve were strictly instructed not to have the fruit from that tree but curiosity drove Eve and she took the plunge . Later on , Adam too ate the apple on Eve’s insistence.
God , on learning about their misadventure, banished them from heaven and from then, their misery began. The only bit of silver lining being that they had acquired knowledge and wisdom, which helped mankind to survive on earth for so long.
Wisdom alone has prompted human beings to bring about new inventions. These inventions have made their lives comfortable than before.
3. Festivals : Reasons to celebrate
Who needs a reason to celebrate ? This is a common phrase one gets to hear these days. Neverthelesss , the aura surrounding festivals persists till date . They bring together the entire community on the same platform . Offering prayers , feasting heartily , singing and dancing and buying new clothes make us wait for festivals with bated breath.
2. Life and its many emotions
No matter what biologists and scientists come up with , God is the only one we thank for this beautiful experience called Life . It is almost instinctive in nature to show our gratitude to the Almighty , who has breathed life into lifeless mortals . He has also filled us with emotions like kindness , mercy , pity , love and also greed and jealousy.
What would a man or a woman be without these feelings or sensations ?
It is said that because of the Eternal curse borne by man as a result of disobeying God in Eden , he has lost the gift of immortality, which God had earlier enriched him with.
“DUST THOU ART TO DUST RETURNEST” – Henry Longfellow , A Psalm of Life .
1. God : The fountain of faith
The above mentioned points would have been of no use if the entity named God was absent in our lives. He is the source from which we derive everything , including our existence .Therefore , it is pertinent to say that God’s greatest gift to mankind is He, Himself. We worship Him , fear Him , love Him and depend on Him.
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