Atheists debate the notion of God as if disproving a math equation.
Recently a colleague of mine lost her daughter to cancer. The deterioration was sudden and crushing, and within a few weeks of being diagnosed, her daughter died a painful death.
The thought that her dear daughter was now in peace and in a better place must have given her comfort in her immense pain. Flooded by the sudden loss, her faith kept her afloat.
Human understanding of the world continues to advance, but we will never know everything. As limited beings in time, our knowledge remains ever finite. The moments, days, years of the future remain uncertain, no matter how much we know about the present and the past.
This uncertainty, this limit and this finitude will continue to imbue our lives with fear, as well as with mystery and wonder. And therefore, God will never die. As much in our moments of fear and pain, as in our moments of wonder and gratitude, we seek to express our feelings toward that which is unknown to us, and that unknown is God.
An astrophysicist may know some things about the stars, but even he must be filled with wonder at their sight. We know a bit about the moon, but that does not take away the beauty of its silence, of its changing form and its movement across the sky.
To feel that sense of beauty and wonder is also a prayer. The mystery, the silence, the vastness fills us with awe, and we seek almost to kiss the very feet of its artist.
...
For many days now, a long forgotten melody had been on my lips. I asked many which song did the melody belong to. But to no avail. I did have an inkling that it was a song of devotion, and I persevered and finally found it.
It is the Aarti composed by Guru Nanak, sung in the evening at the Sikh temples. Even an obstinate intellectual as myself found the beauty of the poetry absolutely marvelous, and listening to the song almost brought tears to my eyes.
The aarti is a traditional ritual in Indian religions where the prayer to a deity is accompanied with lamps, incense and offerings. This particular hymn is remarkable in that it combines the wonder and beauty of nature with a homage and a prayer.
The first two verses of this long poem are as below:
ਰਾਗੁ ਧਨਾਸਰੀ ਮਹਲਾ ੧ ॥
Raag Dhhanaasaree Mehalaa 1 ||
रागु धनासरी महला १ ॥
ਗਗਨ ਮੈ ਥਾਲੁ ਰਵਿ ਚੰਦੁ ਦੀਪਕ ਬਨੇ ਤਾਰਿਕਾ ਮੰਡਲ ਜਨਕ ਮੋਤੀ ॥
Gagan Mai Thhaal Rav Chandh Dheepak Banae Thaarikaa Manddal Janak Mothee ||
गगन मै थालु रवि चंदु दीपक बने तारिका मंडल जनक मोती ॥
With the sky as the platter, and the sun and the moon as the lamps, the very stars being the studded pearls for this offering.
ਧੂਪੁ ਮਲਆਨਲੋ ਪਵਣੁ ਚਵਰੋ ਕਰੇ ਸਗਲ ਬਨਰਾਇ ਫੂਲੰਤ ਜੋਤੀ ॥੧॥
Dhhoop Malaaanalo Pavan Chavaro Karae Sagal Banaraae Foolanth Jothee ||1||
धूपु मलआनलो पवणु चवरो करे सगल बनराइ फूलंत जोती ॥१॥
The fragrance of sandalwood in the air is the temple incense, and the wind is the fan. All the plants of the world are the altar flowers in offering to You.
It has been beautifully sung by two traditional religious singers from India:
Recently a colleague of mine lost her daughter to cancer. The deterioration was sudden and crushing, and within a few weeks of being diagnosed, her daughter died a painful death.
The thought that her dear daughter was now in peace and in a better place must have given her comfort in her immense pain. Flooded by the sudden loss, her faith kept her afloat.
Human understanding of the world continues to advance, but we will never know everything. As limited beings in time, our knowledge remains ever finite. The moments, days, years of the future remain uncertain, no matter how much we know about the present and the past.
This uncertainty, this limit and this finitude will continue to imbue our lives with fear, as well as with mystery and wonder. And therefore, God will never die. As much in our moments of fear and pain, as in our moments of wonder and gratitude, we seek to express our feelings toward that which is unknown to us, and that unknown is God.
An astrophysicist may know some things about the stars, but even he must be filled with wonder at their sight. We know a bit about the moon, but that does not take away the beauty of its silence, of its changing form and its movement across the sky.
To feel that sense of beauty and wonder is also a prayer. The mystery, the silence, the vastness fills us with awe, and we seek almost to kiss the very feet of its artist.
...
For many days now, a long forgotten melody had been on my lips. I asked many which song did the melody belong to. But to no avail. I did have an inkling that it was a song of devotion, and I persevered and finally found it.
It is the Aarti composed by Guru Nanak, sung in the evening at the Sikh temples. Even an obstinate intellectual as myself found the beauty of the poetry absolutely marvelous, and listening to the song almost brought tears to my eyes.
The aarti is a traditional ritual in Indian religions where the prayer to a deity is accompanied with lamps, incense and offerings. This particular hymn is remarkable in that it combines the wonder and beauty of nature with a homage and a prayer.
The first two verses of this long poem are as below:
ਰਾਗੁ ਧਨਾਸਰੀ ਮਹਲਾ ੧ ॥
Raag Dhhanaasaree Mehalaa 1 ||
रागु धनासरी महला १ ॥
Raag Dhanashree, First Mehl.
(the "First Mehl" refers to Guru Nanak being the author of this hymn)
(Raga Dhanasri, or Dhanashree, is an Indian classical raga, denoting that this hymn should be sung in this particular way)
(the "First Mehl" refers to Guru Nanak being the author of this hymn)
(Raga Dhanasri, or Dhanashree, is an Indian classical raga, denoting that this hymn should be sung in this particular way)
ਗਗਨ ਮੈ ਥਾਲੁ ਰਵਿ ਚੰਦੁ ਦੀਪਕ ਬਨੇ ਤਾਰਿਕਾ ਮੰਡਲ ਜਨਕ ਮੋਤੀ ॥
Gagan Mai Thhaal Rav Chandh Dheepak Banae Thaarikaa Manddal Janak Mothee ||
गगन मै थालु रवि चंदु दीपक बने तारिका मंडल जनक मोती ॥
With the sky as the platter, and the sun and the moon as the lamps, the very stars being the studded pearls for this offering.
Dhhoop Malaaanalo Pavan Chavaro Karae Sagal Banaraae Foolanth Jothee ||1||
धूपु मलआनलो पवणु चवरो करे सगल बनराइ फूलंत जोती ॥१॥
The fragrance of sandalwood in the air is the temple incense, and the wind is the fan. All the plants of the world are the altar flowers in offering to You.
It has been beautifully sung by two traditional religious singers from India:
1 comment:
It is one of the most beautiful aartis!!
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