Items related to One God in You and Me
Lines of the Times
Why are we here?
How did we get here
Who created us if we do, in fact, have a creator?
Where do we go when we die?
Why are we here?
How did we get here
Who created us if we do, in fact, have a creator?
Where do we go when we die?
Aren't you glad they don't ask those questions on job applications? Chances are, you and your friends have probably sat around on a Saturday night with a bag of cheese puffs and pondered such dilemmas. A. Mohit's book, One God in You and Me, is just like one of those conversations, though a lot less fattening.
Without doubt, Mr. Mohit is a brave soul, putting religion, a firecracker of controversy, in your face, and dissecting the concept more throughly than your first unfortunate frog in biology class. It s well researched, inquisitive, and gutsy. Like a child who s just asked his flustered parents about the birds and the bees, the book explores the mysteries of the universe while stomping on any taboo topics which may arise.
For some people, there may be a gasp on every page, as the author exhibits a blatant disregard for conventional attitudes. He does the unthinkable, challenging the notion that different religions are, in fact, really different. If that isn't enough, he has the audacity to suggest that while rituals may vary, all religions share a common core, reflecting the basic human need for hope.
Perhaps the most eyebrow-raising goal of the book is to merge science and religion. Of course, I would advise you not to try this at home, unless you've practiced first with oil and water. Mohit uses philosophy, physics, ideologies of ancient cultures, and anything else he can get his hands on while trying to logically reason so many ambiguities of the world. Though the subject matter is nothing less than intriguing, the author at times, throws too many cookies into the jar, making it impossible to digest everything at once.
Math phobics may wince at the extensive discussion of physics, and I must admit my hair curled at first sight of the frequency wave chart, but I guarantee, as you read, light bulb will continuously flash above your head. You'll go on mental treasure hunt, where ideas are presented in such a way that you'll feel compelled to hang in there, see where it s going, and then decide if it makes sense to you.
When the fat lady sung, does the book succeed in making sense of it all? Like a never-ending puzzle or one of those awful Rubik's Cubes, there may never be a definite solution. Unfortunately, we are still frustrated gerbils running on wheels that go nowhere. But this book is perfect for contemplative moods, like those times when the rain is pouring, and you have one of those umbrellas that never opens, and you are feeling so small in the universe. Or when you re sitting in rush hour traffic, and you find yourself wondering if you could just slam into the car in front of you, and would such an impulsive action be the result of fate, free will, or excessive irritability?
Granted, while reading this work, I often felt as though I was participating in brain Olympics, but at the same time, I found it challenging. If you are looking for light, coffee table reading, stick with TV Guide, but if you enjoy trying to solve a baffling mystery, this book will leave you spell bound. -- Renee Lukas
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
About the Author:
Mohit published the first edition of One God in You and Me in 1996, and the book received wide acclaim. Reading this journey through religions and time will challenge your mental faculties, count on it. But the trip is worth the travel. When you arrive at the final chapter, you just may find yourself equipped with new ways of looking at the world in which we find ourselves today. You may also discover within you a refreshed spirit of tolerance and love. Read with an open mind. Readers who agree with the author that there is indeed one God in you and me will find this book can renew your spirit, your outlook and even your daily actions. This second edition of One God in You and Me updates the book in a time when the damage the world receives in the name of God has gained dangerous footholds affecting everyone around the globe. Growing up in a multilingual, multicultural society in India, Mohit was exposed to conflicting societal emotions very early in life. His favorite uncle was killed in a communal riot. He witnessed upheavals and watched racial tensions escalate among people in this turbulent period in the history of the country. As Mohit puts it, his strongest emotions arose from the tears of the weakest. He dipped into philosophy and religion to find solace in a very troubling time. The result is a probing and disturbing look into the very depths of society' s soul.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.:
Come, everyone who is Thirsty, here is water! Isaiah: 55
An ardent sense of humility at heart, and a simultaneous burning desire in soul, two demanding, conflicting emotions kept me at bay for the last two decades or so. Bursts of inspiring thought appeared and coerced me occasionally to take this venture. Many a time I succumbed to the inducement and started the work only to abandon it later. I always hoped to resume it another time. I procrastinated for two reasons: One, the subject matter is profound and controversial. Two, the necessary self-confidence was wanting.
For an overwhelming number of people of our time, adherence to a certain religious faith is an accident of birth, and not a conscious and deliberate choice. Their faith is neither ingrained in any solid foundation, nor enlivened with reasonable knowledge and understanding. It is superficial. To serve the pretentious cause of their own religion, which they neither follow nor understand, many of them, on slightest pretext, come out with impassioned fervor to slaughter people of other religious faiths.
Discussion of religion often brings out the sensitive side of a person. Even nonchalant, casual followers suddenly become serious and make resolute efforts to prove the superiority of their particular faiths by expounding intriguing theories and explanations. The so-called religious conviction of some is more like a blind prejudice innate in their subconscious, rather than a living, thriving belief. Often, an evidently logical person with an open mind and a balanced sense of judgment suddenly assumes a retrogressive posture and arms himself with defensive arsenals of pseudo-logic to support his faith.
In today's religious marketplace, many vendors peddle their wares under the same roof. Everyone claims his merchandise to be the best, but never bothers to look at other offerings. If they did, they would see that they are all trading in the same product, only in different raiment.
All known philosophical abstractions, including atheism, agnosticism, nihilism, existentialism and many other apparently ramified concepts are offshoots of religious deliberation. The reality is, when contemplated with insight all diverging philosophies converge.
Individual religions are like fragmented parts of a circle, at the center lies the true religion. All approaches lead towards that center. Although from the circumference the differences among individual religions appear substantial, as one advances towards the center the divergence gradually disappears. The point, furthest from the center of a rotating wheel is under tremendous stress, moving continuously. The center rests in absolute peace.
The purpose of this book is to look for common ground among multitudes of diversities, to seek harmony amidst disharmony, to find similarity among dissimilarity, and to inquire at that point where all philosophies merge.
Often I searched my self, questioned my wisdom, and looked for support deep inside me to muster sufficient strength to take up the challenge. But the task seemed to be colossal and I could never convince myself I was qualified to take it up. Repeatedly, therefore, I deferred it to a future date when I was more knowledgeable, wiser and better equipped. During those intermediate years, I read many books, traveled to exotic places, listened to many wise people, conversed with learned persons, concentrated, contemplated and mediated many hours, yet never felt confident enough to set to work.
Then, on a fine winter morning, while I was ambling in the bounty of unadulterated nature, away from the humdrum of city life, a new thought struck me.
It was a moment when the world was slowly waking up from its nocturnal slumber. The morning sun was shinning on the due laden leaves of small shrubs. Shafts of early morning sunlight added golden hues to the bright colors of the freshly bloomed flowers. The morning was so quiet, one could almost hear the sound of one's own breathing. Once in a while, the stunning silence was broken by the barely audible murmurs of the soft, cool breeze blowing through the newly grown leaves of the tall eucalyptus trees. I was watching the fleeting white clouds in an otherwise clear blue sky. Then a flock of migrating white birds suddenly attracted my attention. Gliding on air, with wings outstretched majestically, the birds appeared on the western sky and gracefully flew from the view.
As the birds disappeared, it dawned on me: We are all like those birds in flight. We are always on the move through the shifting clouds of life, moving continuously, improving ourselves every moment. Our old selves die every minute of the day, giving birth to a newer self. A better, wiser, stronger and more experienced personality replaces the weaker and inexperienced one. There is no end to this development. This is what life is. We need not wait the whole of our lifetimes expecting something dramatic to happen to make us discerning sages. In whatever stages of life we are, we can make a beginning. A modest beginning, perhaps, but a beginning. Myriad thoughts, with vivid colors and forms, dances in the air around us from time to time. Perhaps we, the living interacting entities of present time, have lived in other times. If not here, somewhere else, in some other level of consciousness. Like John the Elijah, perhaps we too have walked on the surface of this earth in other garb. Perhaps our immortal souls have already lived many lives, reincarnating time and again, learning new lessons through diverse experiences of each life. Perhaps this pilgrimage is a never-ending journey toward the fate, predestined by a divine design. Perhaps this world is nothing but assaying ground for us, a place where we have been commissioned by someone who oversees us every moment of our lives. And one day He will adjudicate us for all the good and bad that we have done in our lives and send us either to heaven or to hell, to live eternally thereafter.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
- PublisherBeacon House (IN)
- Publication date1996
- ISBN 10 0964767201
- ISBN 13 9780964767201
- BindingPaperback
- Number of pages196
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