Leap of Faith

Travelling from across the globe and the country, braving crowds and inhospitable travel conditions, replete with the heat and dust of India; the Kumbh mela continues to be a symbol of relentless faith. People continue to levitate to this awe-inspiring event, with a trickle having become a downpour in the last few years. Reason: To wash away their sins, by a well-orchestrated dip in the holy Ganges, or for blessings and good luck in their coming lives. No mortal so far has been able to convey his journey of afterlife, into their next lives. Yet, here we all are, performing various ceremonies and ablutions, just for an insurance policy. And we really don’t know if it works, but still do it. I often wonder why? What separates humans from other animals, apart from the obvious? The answer is faith.

Before the reader begins to wonder whether this is a religious outpouring or whether the article is written by a preacher or a wise old man wanting to proselytize, there needs to be a clarification; this faith has a different aspect and it is just not religious faith that governs our lives. Faith is an emotion, a belief that we have in ourselves; that others have in us; that we have in others. We have often heard players saying, ‘the captain and the coach had faith in me and backed my talents,’ or our relatives, saying ‘that I had faith in him to bail me out of trouble.’

The very fact that we pray to God, despite him/her being intangible, is a proof of our faith. That is what religion basically is, a form of faith that just goes by various names. And to think of it, faith is that bridge, which binds our physical world with our mental attitude. Precisely why, it plays such an important role in our lives, knowingly or unknowingly.

Sadly, we all seem to be losing out on this aspect of our lives, constantly questioning and probing, often becoming cynical. The loss of faith in humans is alarming. We lose faith in our leaders, (their actions are to blame), faith in our system (our actions to blame), faith in people (cumulative effort of the aforementioned two). And that’s when the fabric of society starts to disintegrate.

The protests in Middle east, borne out of discontent, but fuelled by the fact that people lost faith in the system and the leaders, the multiple processions and the rage towards the Delhi gang rape victim, when people lost faith in the judicial system. Even in our very own lives, we tend towards pessimism and self doubt when people lose faith in our abilities. Protests and uprisings are not anti-social but the lack of faith forces humans to act in this manner. It makes them feel vulnerable. And a scared mind, devoid of faith is the most dangerous, for we neither can predict its behavior, nor reason with it.

During exams a common sight is all the students flocking to their respective gods and goddesses, asking for better results. We do not know the outcome, but we do have faith. So, why not be a little more faithful in our everyday lives? Believe in people; let them know about it, back their abilities. Have faith in one’s self, and faith that we can change systems, for the better. Just like creation of matter occurred with the aid of small, intangible “god-particle, Higgs Bosson”, the call for change and revolution already has the right ingredients, all it needs, is a little, intangible yet palpable faith.

   

©Copyright Darshil A Shastri