What does god mean to u? & How do u connect with god?
God is that fabric of consciousness that connects all things in this Universe. Great masters in every sphere and in every time have have always understood this through intuition. Science is also slowly uncovering this very fact by approaching it from the angle of observable data and phenomena. We don't exist in isolation. At the very basic level, we all are inseparably connected and God is this mesh which binds us all.
Once, we understand that God is not outside, in a specific geography or practice, but inside and also everywhere, then connecting becomes a process of realization. It is journey within, peeling through layers of oneself - the physical, the intellectual, the emotional, so we finally get to our core energy. To connect with God is probably the simplest thing to explain, but then again, probably one of the most challenging states to achieve. To connect with God, one needs to become still - at all levels. The body needs to be balanced, the mind needs to be stable and the heart needs to be unwavering - then you don't just connect with God, you become one with God.
Spiritual practices, beliefs & experiences
This is an ongoing process of discovery, and some of these are also seasonal, haha. However, the overall urge to explore spirituality has been taking root in my life for a while now. There is a lot of yoga, a little bit of meditation, some breathing exercises (pranayama). I also try to keep myself positive all the time. I don't indulge in or tolerate negativity. I believe that when one truly, completely and unconditionally believes in something, however improbable it may seem to others, the Universe has no option but to manifest it. Great achievers in every field have known and believed this.
what does being religious mean to u?
I am born into a religion which has a tradition of spiritual practices that can be traced back to four or five millenia at the least, if not more. For this, I feel grateful and blessed. We have a wealth of spiritual knowledge that has been handed down to us through the ages in our country. Probably, no other country or land in the world has this blessing. Today the practices themselves may be clouded through rituals and discovering the spiritual motivations beneath the veneer of these rituals and superstitions is in itself an interesting process. To me, being religious is a way to find faith. Different people need different tools to help them find faith. Some hold on to religion, some to their family and friends, some to their profession, some to basic goodness and philanthropy, some to science. Each of these is a religion, or a dharma, in its own way. I think of myself as more of a spiritual person, than a religious one. However, I do enjoy and follow the religious practices and traditions I'm born into. Festivals and celebrations are a social experience and create a feeling of belonging to something bigger than yourself - a craving that every human being has.
If u got a chance to play god, what would u change?
I wouldn't change a thing, because the Universe runs in accordance with certain laws. Even God cannot change those. The Universe runs through freewill. That is the power that has been given to us by God. So, God, or any other power outside, cannot change our freewill and cannot change the Universe. However, WE CAN. And by doing so, we ourselves become God. Realizing that and figuring out this 'matrix' is our purpose.
Miracles if any
Several! I see miracles all around. If we open our eyes to it, every moment of our existence is miraculous. When I was a little kid, we were in Central Station, Chennai, waiting to board a train. You know the television monitors in Central Station that keep playing advertisements and PSAs? Now, my brother and I made this incredulous wish that they should play Michael Jackson's "Thriller" on the television set. One moment later, hardly a couple of seconds had passed since we wished this aloud, the television sets all over Central Station went blank and they played Michael Jackson's Thriller video. I am not kidding you!!! They did! To this day, I don't know how it happened. It was miraculous. As we grow up, we stop believing. We stop believing in miracles and close ourselves to miraculous possibilities. We tell ourselves, "Such things don't happen in real life. They can happen only in movies!". Truth is, miracles don't happen often enough, because we don't let them happen to us. I don't close myself to miracles - and miracles happen to me all the time. Every time I feel the love of my wife, every time I see my child's eyes, every time an audience applauds my work, every time I bask in my family's warmth, every time a stranger helps me out of a tough situation, I know I'm experiencing a miracle.
Fav pilgrimage sites
Has to be Kailash-Manasarovar. Again, how this happened was also a miracle. I was going through a very tough and stressful situation. I told my wife that I needed to be in a place where there was nobody around for at least 3 or 4 days to get my balance back. Within a couple of days, I got a call from Isha Yoga saying that Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev was doing his annual Kailash-Manasarovar trip and this time they wanted Vijay TV to cover it and were wondering if I would like to go along with Sadhguru on the trip. I asked them, "So, you are offering me the chance to visit Kailash-Manasarovar, all expenses paid, along with Sadhguru, and I get to interview him, participate in all the talks and processes - and you're asking me if I want to do it or not?!! OFCOURSE I AM IN!". Shiva had heard my wish and had given me two weeks access to his realm. A place where you let go of everything including yourself.
