The Enigma Of Existence: 'From The Very Dawn Of Human Civilization, A Caravan Of Certainties And Doubts Have Come And Fizzled Out'
By
Sumit Paul, New Age Islam
3 December
2022
The Crux Of All Religions Is Humanity. Adhere To
It For A Fulfilling And Wholesome Existence.
What You Perceive As Truth Could Be A Lie Even
To Your Wife!
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" Raaz-E-Vajood
Kuchh Na Poochh, Subhe-Azal Se Aaj Tak / Kitne Yaqeen Guzar Gaye, Kitne Guzar
Gaye Gumaan "
( Don't ask the enigma of existence, right from the very first dawn of human
civilization/ A caravan of certainties and doubts have come and fizzled out).
Raghupati
Sahay 'Firaq' Gorakhpuri's famous couplet underscores a profound insight that
an eternal conundrum remains a conundrum and none of us can crack that. Mind
you, it's not just life that is forever an enigma. Death, god, afterlife etc.
are also riddles to almost all humans and it's well-nigh impossible to be hundred
percent certain of any one phenomenon out of a host of vague esoteric
phenomena. So, when I see some holier-than-thou and foolishly literalist people
fuss over stupid religious beliefs in their hoary-old scriptures and think that
they've the key to all wisdom past, present and future, I feel terribly sorry
for them.
Afghani
mystic Mir Haqaiz said a millennium ago in Pashto, " Zu'phil Ez Qaaf
Bazm'ein Im Yaqeenam" (Fools are always full of certitude).
They indeed
are. Certainty is a sure sign of stupidity, whereas doubting is a mark of
intelligence, nay, wisdom. Vidur says in Mahabharata, 'Sanshyeshu
Dharmasyam' (Doubt is religion). It's worthwhile to state that Vidur, the
most intelligent and level-headed man in the Pandava and Kaurava clans, didn't
believe in divinity despite seeing and meeting Krishna.
So, how can
anyone be sure of the validity of whatever has been written in Gita, Ramayana,
Quran, Bible, among others? Take the stories in these books with a pinch of
salt and don't waste your time in determining their authenticity. All these
stories and episodes in the scriptures are allegories and parables. Laugh them
off or draw your own inferences but don't impose them on others and assert that
what you've perceived is the one and only truth. Truth is also relative,
subjective and highly solipsistic.
Remember a famous statement, " In religion as well as in life, what
you perceive as truth is your private truth which could be a lie even to your
wife. "
The crux of
all religions is humanity. Adhere to it for a fulfilling and wholesome
existence.
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A regular columnist for New Age Islam,
Sumit Paul is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to
Islam. He has contributed articles to the world's premier publications in
several languages including Persian.
URL: https://newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/existence-dawn-human-civilization-caravan-/d/128552