Hey, how’s it going? Hope the negativity outside isn’t getting to you. Breathe, and believe.
A post about Vishnu’s avatars on The Wise Idiot’s Instagram account led to many requests, and most importantly: a change of direction.
Mythology is a funny territory. Sceptics ridicule it, academics (coldly) study it, and devotees stress that it is both history and religion (and therefore the truth). Let’s be a fourth group: seekers. We read, observe, think, accept, unlearn and become wiser.
But you know it already, right?
You’ve probably read (some version of) the Ramayan and Mahabharat, heard stories from the Vedic ages and discussed many more. What did you feel when you read about monkey-like men, people who live in the sky, or a god that drinks poison?
You can leave it at that or start reading between the lines. Then you gradually admire the brilliant symbolism and the deep questions that wise authors weave into these stories.
Reading between the lines
You can wonder if Hanuman was really a monkey with a swollen mouth and tail.
Or ask yourself, ‘How much of an animal am I? How do I overcome my animal instincts?’
Does Devlok (abode of the gods in the skies) exist?
Or ‘Is it possible that even after winning the skies, we still remain greedy, insecure and fearful?’
Did Shiva really drink poison during Samudra Manthan?
Or ‘How much faith did everyone have in Shiva to know that he’ll selflessly drink poison for the greater good? How can I kindle such selflessness?’
Okay, so what now?
There are stories. Questions. Interpretations. Opinions. But only you can find your answers. While you find yours, I’ll keep sharing more questions in our samvaad here, on TWI’s social handles and through our blog.
Let’s learn things we’ve never learned before, transforming into people we’ve never been able to be before.
