I was educated in a missionary school where a large number of the teachers were Christians. There was a time when I used to meticulously carry a free Bible with me. I reluctantly believed that God so loved the world, he gave his only son to die on the cross for our sins. I could never understand the logic. There were several fathers and mothers in history who had ended up sacrificing their kids. How can Jesus be so powerful and die for someone elses sin? Why didn't God save him? Why should there be any gender bias? God should be above gender. Bible ended up just being a story book for me. A story book with miracles of a magician like charismatic man who was born of virgin Mary. Virgin Mary? This again defied logic.
Over the years, my god worshipping habits became scarce. I used to visit temples and other holy places but more out of curiosity than out of religious habit. I became less and less religious but more mystical...at times sceptic. During my teenage years I started facing serious problems either related to home or heart. I needed divine intervention to save me, to bring my focus back.
It was during that time, I started reading the Bhagavad Gita. I loved the epic Mahabharat and this book was part of it. It is sacred to the Hindus but it is not copyrighted to the Hindus. Anyone can read it. It is a book of practical wisdom. Krishna counsels the mentally broken Arjun beside the battlefield of Kurukshetra. Sanjay, the chariot driver conveys all the details of this conversation as live TV to the blind king Dhritarashtra.
Reading the Gita did not make me a fanatic or orthodox worshipper of Krishna. It made me worldly wise, detached, and sensible. I really want to thank my mother who asked me to read it and at times even read the Sanskrit parts and translated it. I have always been a very analytical person and so miracles do not appeal to me much. I live in this world...this world of flesh and bones and I required some solid advice to lead my life. I did find it partly in the Gita.
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