A conversation with "father"

I was traveling via Mangla express to my college in Manipal, Karnataka. A man sat in the berth opposite to me. A conversation started.

Stranger: Hey.. What do you do?

Me: I am doing engineering. And you?

Stranger: I am a father.

Me: That's cool but what's your profession.
Stranger: I am a father in a church. A priest.

Me: Oh ok. That's great. I have some questions about Christianity. Would you please clarify my doubts?

Stranger: Yes yes sure.

Me: Matthew is the oldest gospel in new testament who wrote his 'stuff' atleast 60 years after the death of Jesus. How are we so sure that whatever he wrote is exactly what the Christ said? Maybe he added some of his own beliefs. After all, he was a human. Humans make mistakes and our beliefs get tainted too.

Stranger: No no! The precious knowledge of Jesus was passed verbally to Mark. Then he passed on that knowledge to Matthew.

Me: So this guy Mark was in direct contact with Jesus?

Stranger: I don't know.

Me: Does Bible mention the birth date of Jesus?

Stranger: No. Why?

Me: Then why do we celebrate Jesus' birthday on 25th December?

Stranger: I don't know.

Me: Bible says a lot on Jesus' childhood, on his adulthood. But why nothing on his adolescence years? Adolescence years are the most formative years of one's life. Why nothing on that?

Stranger: Probably nothing happened during his adolescent age.

Me: There are accounts of Jesus traveling to India and learning Yoga and Hinduism. He also learnt the art of holding his breath for long, stopping his heartbeat and pulse to fake death. Swami Ananda of that era mentions that in his records. But he got pissed of with the contamination of caste system in Hinduism and went to Tibet to learn about Buddhism. Ancient Buddhist scroll mention his real name, place of origin and all that he learnt. Buddhist guys mentioned all travelers, however insignificant. But they were very impressed by Jesus.

Stranger: Who told you all this?

Me: I read this book "Jesus lived in India". It also said that when Jesus went back to his place, and tried explaining his people about soul, reincarnation and stuff like that, he was ridiculed. So he thought of simplifying the knowledge and started preaching basic and comprehensible things like love. I also searched about it on internet. Seems true. When Jesus was crucified, he faked his death, woke up after 3 days. People call it resurrection. He traveled to Kashmir where he died. There is a tomb of Jesus in Kashmir. A Kashmiri friend of mine confirmed this to me.

Stranger: You shouldn't believe anything just because it's written or confirmed by a friend.

Me: Really?

Stranger: hm hmm.

Me: So why do you believe in Bible?

Stranger: Because it's the word of God.

Me: hain? And who says it's the word of God?

Stranger: The Holy Bible!

Me: *facepalm* Why did it take so many years for Christianity to accept that the earth revolves around the sun, not vice versa.

Stranger: We just wanted to be sure.

Me: So now are you sure?

Stranger: yes.

Me: That means you were advocating the wrong thing all this while!

Stranger: So what? Now we've learned.

Me: So again. We shouldn't just believe in something just because it's written. Right?

Stranger: You should read Bible. Here, take this.

He handed me a bible and i took it.

Me: Why does Christianity falsify reincarnation?

Stranger: Because it doesn't happen. Reincarnation is a myth propagated by all eastern religions.

Me: People like Dick Sutphen, Brian Weiss, Edith Fiore, Ian Stevenson and so many more have experimented or discovered the concept of past lives. Some of them are renowned psychologists, psychiatrists or doctors. They've documented proofs via hypnosis, extensive research and via confirmation of incidents explained by people or children claiming to remember their past lives. Many scientists have also claimed the truth of reincarnation. What's this close mindedness?

Stranger: We follow only what the bible says. That's the ultimate truth.

I took halwa from my bag and offered him. He asked me what is it?

Me: It's an offering from Bangla Sahib Gurudwara.

Stranger: sorry, I can't have it.

Me: Why?

Stranger: It's against my faith.

Me: So how much should I pay you for the bible?

Being Human.. or being practical

Ever since I was a kid, I have been hearing this often, "Be practical". I had a hunch of what practicality they were talking about. Perhaps, it was about being more competitive; about crushing others so that I could rise; about not being sensitive; about keeping career first and everything later; about making choices from the head by analyzing all choices with respect to futuristic advantages in terms of material sense. (last wala thoda jyada ho gaya)

Every time I heard this phrase "Be practical", I thought that if I am practical how can I be happy. My aim had always been to be a happy person in my job, in my relationships and everything. And why is to be competitive related to being practical? Aren't togetherness and brotherhood better stuff for survival rather than fighting with your fellow beings? What is more practical: being human or being fighter dogs?

Why is building walls around yourself considered practical? The walls might prevent you from getting hurt but won't they prevent you from being touched? If walls prevent sadness, won't they prevent happiness too? And what is more practical than being happy?

What is practically better: a great career with no family and friends to share the success with or a good fulfilling career with family and friends to share the small success with?

What is practically better: a highly paid job that leaves you with no health to enjoy your life or a decently paid job with good health to enjoy life?

When I see the life of stray dogs, I am reminded of the so-called practical people. Those dogs fight over food, fight over bitches, fight over area, they bark a lot and then sleep. Wake up and follow the same old routine, do puppies and die. The so-called practical people follow more or less the same life. They sleep, wake up, fight for survival, do kids, make the kids fight for survival and then they get unhealthy and die. Occasionally, they go on vacations or get drunk which they call enjoyment.

While the so-called practical people truly live only during vacations (if their phone calls or worries don't disturb them), the other lot (called crazy people) enjoy everyday and live each moment. The crazy people seek richness within, yet they completely enjoy the richness of the outside world. The so-called practical people get busy seeking richness outside which makes them so tensed that they forget about the world that exists inside.

I feel that I am lucky that I never got so influenced by this phrase "Be practical".