Spiritual Views.

   Religion, Spirituality and the Human Being The animal kingdom has no religion in the way human beings understand religion. Then where did religions come from? Are they simply creations of human thought, or are they ways of life developed to give meaning, discipline and direction to human existence? If religion is essentially a way of life, then why do we not see something similar among animals? Animals live, survive, care for their young, cooperate with one another and maintain their own natural order, but they do not appear to divide themselves into religious groups. Perhaps religion is one of the consequences of human consciousness—the human attempt to understand existence, morality, death, nature and the unknown. But then another question arises: what is the relationship between religion and spirituality? Religion may be understood as a way of life shaped by traditions, teachings, values and practices through which human beings attempt to live peacefully with themselves ...

   The Duties of “God” and the Lessons of a Pandemic Let us see the duties of “God,” who has created this universe purposefully. He would never wish to see the destruction of His own creation before His eyes. If an enemy is visible, everyone can identify it and fight it with a suitable weapon. But when the enemy is invisible, the situation becomes entirely different. Then perhaps God has to act in His own mysterious way to protect His creation. In such a carnivorous pandemic, the situation is like a war without guns and bullets. The enemy is invisible, yet its presence can be felt everywhere. In a war situation, everyone has to apply his or her own intelligence to safeguard oneself as well as others. There is no place for carelessness because the safety of one person can be connected with the safety of many others. We can live without air for only a few minutes, without water for some days, and without food for perhaps several weeks. But without the divine force that sustains ...

   I started the day with some exercises and yoga. The body felt a little lighter, but the mind still carried the weight of the uncertainty surrounding us. Because of the pandemic, life seems to be moving at a slower pace, accompanied by a strange, underlying anxiety. Everything appears to have paused for a while, yet the mind refuses to stop. With time, numerous questions arise—questions that perhaps have no immediate answers and may reveal their meaning only much later. The world is going to change. Perhaps it has already begun to change in ways that we cannot fully understand. The strength of nature has been proved beyond doubt. In a matter of a short period, what we considered permanent, secure, and firmly established has shown how fragile it actually is. Nothing is permanent here; perhaps this is one of the greatest truths that this period has reminded us of. Sometimes I feel that humanity is moving towards something that resembles the ancient ages described in our tradit...

The Society Will Certainly Change in the Future The society will certainly change in the future. I do not know how, or in which direction, but I have a strong feeling that the world we will see after this period may not be the same as the world we knew before it. The coronavirus pandemic has brought life to an unexpected standstill. Streets are quieter, people are confined to their homes, businesses are struggling, and ordinary human interactions have suddenly become something we have to think twice about. The rhythm of life has slowed down, giving us perhaps an opportunity to observe the world—and ourselves—in a different way. We had always believed that tomorrow would be more or less like today. We planned our lives years ahead, believing that our routines, relationships, professions and social structures would remain relatively stable. But this crisis has shown us how quickly everything can change. Perhaps this is only the beginning of a larger transformation. The way we work may c...