Insightful newsletter of Drishtikone - Issue #6

Today lets discuss about God. What does God represent for a society.

“The function of prayer is not to influence God, but rather to change the nature of the one who prays.” ― Soren Kierkegaard

what is lost when a god is lost?

God is not some permanent entity in most cultures. God is the manifestation of the highest ideal that a society holds dear. That is why the concept of god, the rituals and the festivals are linked to that cultures essence. All the knowledge systems and wisdom structures are built around that essence.

What happens when someone from another place, another set of sensibilities comes and insists on imposing his god on you?

He destroys not just your highest ideal but also makes your entire society rudderless by disassociating the divine from who you are essentially.

It is a death of an entire society’s knowledge and wisdom that was perfected over many millennia!

We look at this truth about the ravages of conversion through two examples - Polynesians and Africans.

How Foreign Gods Destroyed Polynesian and African Cultures and knowledge systems

Polynesians were amazing people. In small canoes they went from the coasts and found islands in the middle of the ocean several thousand kilometers to live and thrive. Polynesians, the Sea-faring masters Their lives built around their understanding of the ocean and the land and nature itself. These Polynesians were intrepid sea-farers. They found the

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seeking for truth and multiple gods

Most cultures which were inclusive and aligned to nature and considered cosmos and universe as their full spectrum, always had multiple gods. Not because anyone of that god was inferior to another, but because god was a manifestation of different aspects of the infinite. A point on an infinite curve, where every point defined the curve, yet not being the curve itself fully.

Indians went to seek the truth of the existential. What they encountered on their way was that there were multiple ways to experience the infinite. That realization gave birth to many levels of consciousness. So when someone asked me - why do Hindus have so many Gods, it set me thinking.

If God is everywhere, Why Should we go to a Temple? - Drishtikone

This is a common refrain from people who have started using logic to understand religion. Specifically Hinduism.

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covid-19 in India

Covid-19 cases moved to over 70,000 and deaths to close to 2300. To put in perspective, US has close to 1.39 mn cases and 82,000 dead. In the coming weeks, the pressure to open the economy will be high and genuinely so. The concern now is that this disease should not spread to the rural areas, which have been largely left least affected.

PM Modi had a meeting with the CMs of different states to prepare for it.

Now effort should be to stop spread of COVID-19 to rural areas: PM Modi in meeting with CMs

The Prime Minister said that this understanding of the spread of COVID-19 will help the country in having a focussed fight against it.

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Meanwhile, a shocking news from Mumbai. One of the police man who interrogated Arnab Goswami, the journalist, for criticizing Sonia Gandhi - has tested positive for COVID-19. Was it by design? How could that have been allowed to happen?

Cop Probing Arnab Goswami Tests Positive for COVID-19, Says Salve

Arnab Goswami was questioned by the police for over 12 hours on 28 April over an FIR filed against him.

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the changing work life

We all know that the world will not be the same. But how will the current crisis impact the working ways? How will businesses change? Well, here is an interesting article for you to read and contemplate.

The coronavirus is changing the way we work - Axios

Telecommuting, new office layouts and a different work-life balance.

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