Does the title make you think am an atheist ?????
Nawww... Just read on...
The other day my Chinese friend and I were having a chat that had innumerable "not-so-important" things that were scrutinized and a very interesting topic was stumbled upon.
She did not have any religion. Rephrasing it, she does not understand the concept of GOD.
I was very surprised and that eventually led to the question of "don't you pray at all? don't you get blessings from elders? ". The answer was a NO.
If someone talked to you about how an algae in the sea bed of the pacific ocean, or some weird chemical composition of rocks that lie dormant on the surface of moon will you understand it ? ...she asked me. I said well logically speaking, being what I am (as I tell people peria padippu padichuiruken ), I will try to understand it, but am not sure how far I can really appreciate it or why its being told to me. Thats when she got me right on the point. She said thats exactly how she felt about GOD. She tries to understand the concept of GOD, but since she has not grown up knowing him (GOD), she does not have that concept in her mind and cannot really appreciate him.
Biologically, her mind does not sense GOD, because it doesn't know of such a "thing". Me being me, by this time had innumerable number of "what ?" questions whirling in my mind. So I asked her, what will you do when you have a problem? Pat came the reply, think about how to solve it, talk to friends, get help and eventually solve it. Number two was, What will you do if someone you love is sick? wouldn't you pray?.... Sick? Sick? well in that case I will take them to the doctor and be by their side. That will make me and them happy. Now I was very confused, because I do everything she tells and still I need GOD with me. Now it struck me ...the million dollar question ...... How will you marry? Will you not go to some place of worship? Won't you have some ceremony? ....Marriages are different for us. We gather at restaurants along with our parents, friends and relatives, then the master of the ceremony tells that the bride and groom are wed and they tell us the story of how they met and how they decided to get married. We make fun of them, laugh and make merry. Thats how we marry.... I was flabbergasted by this I should say.
My friend continued.... may be this is because of the communist rule China has been in. I was born with no concept of GOD around me. We live up to our conscience. We respect people for their age and follow rules. We try not to harm nature, anyone or anything and we try to be friendly and loving. We don't have any functions or festivals other than the Chinese new year, the national day and the communist day. Thats how we have been and I don't think we are missing on anything. Saying these words she smiled at me. I too felt exactly the same thing. I don't think she is missing anything that most of my god fearing friends or I have. In fact her country is one that is setting landmarks for its growth and prosperity that generations of other countries did not.
This incident did throw light on an entirely new dimension. She was not an atheist, who said GOD does not exist. She was not a theist either, but she was one who did not know GOD. She is my friend.
P.S: - Wanted to add a comment that my patti always had about atheist. "Nathigan than swami pathi nareya yosipan namme yosikarthe vide...Namme swami namaskaram panitu karyathuku poiduvom...avaluku karyema swami pathi pesarthu than.....". Wish she was here to say a few words about this third new dimension......
