A few weeks ago, I found myself talking to a bunch of college kids about the importance of visualising one’s goals. There was skepticism as usual. Some were convinced their choices don’t matter. Some wanted, more than anything else, to matter. One boy asked me if I thought he could do what he wants to do.

I told him it didn’t matter what I thought. If he thinks he can do something then all other opinions in the world don’t amount to zilch. All he needs is faith in himself and the universe. He looked better after that and offered to drop me home on his bike after the class.

“Everywhere O Bharata, faith is in accordance with one’s nature. A person’s faith is according to his nature.” [Bhagwad Gita, Chapter 17, Verse 3]

Everyone tells me there is One God. That we are all actually are worshipping that One God by different names. That it is the different names that are the cause of all the strife in our world.

This is a flaky analogy at best, but interesting nevertheless. I got to thinking about creation and God. I believe something created us. Opinions vary as to who or what it was and whether the decision was a wise one or not. Some doubt it was a conscious decision and wonder if we are an accident.

But even so, I wonder why creation has to be a downstream process. Sample this:

Over the last week, I have been having an e-mail conversation with a college friend on the nature of faith and inspiration. It boiled down to the strength (or lack of it) of one’s faith. I am not a faithful, being inclined towards the skeptic’s ways. I call myself an agnostic, which puts me in the enviable position of being able to claim all faiths as mine and to question and dissect them as and when I want.