Strange case of myself!

I'm having a situation. I'll explain in detail: I'm a believer of God and I also purely respect Gods of every religion. I'm from India, and so in my country Hinduism is highly followed and as the world already knows, Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana, Bhaagavatam etc are the mythologies around this place and evidently we have innumerable Gods too, like Shiva, Venkateswara, Krishna, Vishnu etc. Since my childhood I'm very interested in mythological stories, such as the Greek, Roman, Norse, Egyptian myths and etc. And most importantly, my love for them doubled when I watched Joseph Campbell's PBS TV series 'Power of Myth.'

But now that I'm 24 and have to have a clear mind for this kind of spiritual stuff in the society, I'm feeling overwhelmed about my own beliefs. I'm always keeping myself away from my own culture's mythological works (mentioned above) such as the Bhagavad Gita and etc. It is mainly because I've met some people who are reading those things and are trying to follow them have appeared to be turning orthodox. I mean, once I met a Lord Krishna's disciple (a member of ISKCON) on a long train journey. I was reading Gulliver's Travels at that time. This person told me about some teachings of Bhagavadgita and how Science is obsolete at some things and stuff like that. Yes, fine I take it. But what he advised me next made me fall into this whole dilemma of spirituality. He saw me reading Gulliver's Travels and told me, "Instead of reading worthless material like novels or for that matter any kind of fictional works, it is far far better to read about Spirituality, to read only about God, and know him better. This will make your time on this planet count. Don't waste reading books like this one (pointing to Gulliver's Travels (Hardcover edition, printed in 1976, I loved holding such an elderly book in my hands))" I'm a lover of books. Now imagine how I might have felt when some random person comes to me and says the kind of books that I've dedicated to read all my life are useless!! :(

I really don't even hate spiritual books, they're also on my to-read list. But people who are reading them and trying to follow those teachings have mentioned to me that, "when you realize the essence of those books, you will come to understand that the whole of life is just an illusion, and so you will yourself understand that watching movies (all genres), and reading fiction books is nothing but wantingly immersing yourself into the depth of that illusion. Hence you will want to stop performing them." Some of them did it too, they stopped enjoying books and movies.

I didn't like that idea. So, I'm unconsciously hesitating to show love and respect towards those mythologies of my culture. I don't dislike them at all, but I just don't feel myself liking them like before.

Can somebody please help me diagnose the philosophical condition of my mind??

I think you are just too familiar with your own culture. I know very little about Hinduism. That makes it look exotic. Overall, it seems best to avoid any form of extremism.

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Originally Posted by YesNo

Overall, it seems best to avoid any form of extremism.

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I absolutely agree with this.
It's good to keep an open mind - read different books etc.
In my opinion people who start to preach are usually rather narrow-minded.
One book that "illuminates" one person does not necessarily have to illuminate everyone else (e.g. Gulliver's Travels inspired me more than Konfuzius).

I'm afraid that this isn't really an answer to your question, sorry.

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Originally Posted by loe

I absolutely agree with this.
It's good to keep an open mind - read different books etc.
In my opinion people who start to preach are usually rather narrow-minded.
One book that "illuminates" one person does not necessarily have to illuminate everyone else (e.g. Gulliver's Travels inspired me more than Konfuzius).

I'm afraid that this isn't really an answer to your question, sorry.

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Thank you very much.. Yes it is an answer to my question!

[QUOTE=krishna_lit;1246831] He saw me reading Gulliver's Travels and told me, "Instead of reading worthless material like novels or for that matter any kind of fictional works, it is far far better to read about Spirituality, to read only about God, and know him better. This will make your time on this planet count. Don't waste reading books like this one (pointing to Gulliver's Travels (Hardcover edition, printed in 1976, I loved holding such an elderly book in my hands))" I'm a lover of books. Now imagine how I might have felt when some random person comes to me and says the kind of books that I've dedicated to read all my life are useless!! :(

I only wish I could have been sitting beside you when this fool, celebrating his own supposed elevated philosophy, declared that life is best spent in reading only about God. I would have ridden that train for hours tearing down every single inflated piece of his ego. There are a few reason his judgement is so misplaced:

1) In any religion, the purpose of worshiping God or a god is for his Pleasure. As this is the case, we try to live out this worship in everything we do; work, love, pasttimes. In closing ourselves to reading anything but material about God, how then do we enhance our minds? How can we please God in all other aspects if we never better ourselves for his pleasure? Most of the modern world reveres education, from childhood and beyond, is that then too a "waste"? To think that all we have fought for in being able to become better humans, through technology, medical breakthroughs, and the very scope of science, is a waste because it is not necessarily "about God" is preposterous. It is such an incomplete theory for pleasing Him...shall we then just sit on an island, completely still and read religious texts?

2) Your admiration and respect for such respected texts...especially in hardbound elderly print edition, is to be praised. Very few things in life are as permanent as the written word, the pouring out of a soul into future generations. Be that text of God, or of a fable such as Gullivers Travels, in reading, we expand our viewpoints, and gain a better understanding of the complexity Life is. One of the most ironic parts of your story is the book you were holding. Jonathan Swift, author of Gulliver's Travels, was a CLERGYMAN in 18th century England. The inspiration and purpose of writing the original manuscript in 1720 was a satirical rebuttal of Defoe's Robinson Crusoe, and the cynicism with which he saw the human condition.

I doubt your traveling friend knew this, or that, as with most books, the true meaning is between the lines, above and below the actual wording, and in every single pause, space, or chapter break.

3) I will diagnose the philosophical condition of your mind. You are afflicted with something so few can boast. The love to learn. Regardless of what you want to learn...in poetry, prose, or religious ramblings, you desire to break past the narrow mindset we are all born with and create for yourself a view of the sacred, gorgeous world we inhabit. It is a splendid condition to have, and again, I applaud you.

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Originally Posted by Rachel Bentham

1) In any religion, the purpose of worshiping God or a god is for his Pleasure. As this is the case, we try to live out this worship in everything we do; work, love, pasttimes. In closing ourselves to reading anything but material about God, how then do we enhance our minds? How can we please God in all other aspects if we never better ourselves for his pleasure? Most of the modern world reveres education, from childhood and beyond, is that then too a "waste"? To think that all we have fought for in being able to become better humans, through technology, medical breakthroughs, and the very scope of science, is a waste because it is not necessarily "about God" is preposterous. It is such an incomplete theory for pleasing Him...shall we then just sit on an island, completely still and read religious texts?

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I learned completely new insights with your reply. Yes I fully agree with what you've said.. One can't simply strike out everything unrelated to god as 'waste.' I hope those people will realize this someday.

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I doubt your traveling friend knew this, or that, as with most books, the true meaning is between the lines, above and below the actual wording, and in every single pause, space, or chapter break.

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They surely don't know of this. No way!!

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3) I will diagnose the philosophical condition of your mind. You are afflicted with something so few can boast. The love to learn. Regardless of what you want to learn...in poetry, prose, or religious ramblings, you desire to break past the narrow mindset we are all born with and create for yourself a view of the sacred, gorgeous world we inhabit. It is a splendid condition to have, and again, I applaud you.

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I thank you so very much from the deepest roots of my heart for the picture you've painted there in all the response above to the perplexing situation of mine. And I am deeply humbled with your words! I will try to live in such condition forever, learning something new and redefining myself for the good! Thank you :)

cannot all literature be seen, if one so chooses, as an expression of God's existence and His 'logos' including 'Gulliver's Travels?' I am in fact reminded of something that Gandhi once said to the effect that God expresses himself even in the atheism of the atheist...

If one wants to become a part or a member of any group, be it religious or anything else, one must have a special teacher to introduce him or her to the basics of the group's rules or laws in order to avoid mistakes or ramblings or going astray...