How to make god business a good business
Some years ago, an article in The Economist used an Indian temple to illustrate the idea of social entrepreneurship. The idea of religion and faith being the source for social entrepreneurship is not new but is pertinent to our times. When we see this idea in the backdrop of the history of religion, its meaning gets amplified.
The earliest strains of religion take us to the ancient seers who contemplated upon their own being, their surroundings, and the universe. They tried to make some meaning out of things that were part of their ordinary experience. The sun rose everyday bringing light and warmth and life, the stars shone in the night and told a hundred stories, the seeds thrown into the earth became plants and subsequently food, two stones struck against each other created fire - nothing less than magic!
Through contemplation and observation, they began to unravel some of the mysteries but many things were beyond their comprehension, and so they decided that it was divine. The word itself means to "guess" or "conjure" but originally meant "to know by supernatural insight" or something which was "inspired by god". It was estimation rather than a conviction. It was almost as if something was divine only as long as it was a mystery; the moment it was solved, it moved to a different section of knowledge.
While contemplation went on in the mental plane, several physical practices went on in day-to-day life. Often these activities were based on the geographical conditions of the place. Whether it was the food that was cultivated/hunted and eaten, the dress that was worn, or even the language that was spoken - all depended on where people lived. In fact, the term "culture" comes from the Latin cultura, meaning "the tilling of land" indicating the connection between culture and its geography.
The contemplation plus the culture became religion. Of course, when it started out, no special name was given to it. It was just a part of life and didn't need a meta-analysis. The erstwhile pontiff of the Kanchi Mutt, Sri Chandrashekharendra Saraswati discusses this succinctly in one of his discourses on "Why the religion of the Hindus does not have any name".
Over many years, these practices became ingrained in the minds of people and what was something to be avoided became "profane" and likewise, something that was preferable became "sacred". When human beings first travelled outside their own land, they would have certainly got a culture shock, much as in our days. And so, when there was a war, the winner of the war got the territory of the loser and therefore throughout the newly-acquired kingdom, the sacred and the profane of the winning party were implemented - to the extent that the god of the winning tribe was made out to be stronger than the god of the losing tribe.
Over time, from mere societal influence, religion entered into politics. This was because the king was seen as the divine messenger of what was sacred and what was not. In fact, some of the later religions cleverly integrated politics as part of their main narrative. With the advent of economics, religion became a happy partner. Funds were collected in the name of religion in order that there may be welfare in the land. To this day, we can see the influence of religion in politics, economics, society, war, and business. Sometimes religion acts as a deterrent for real-time progress because of misguided people and groups.
I don't know if religion is good or bad. But what I do know is that the idea of religion is so ingrained in the minds and hearts of the people that it cannot be easily removed. It would probably take centuries to abolish religion, if at all. So, instead of trying something impossible, we might as well try and use religion in a meaningful way.
It's a given that religion is good business. Why not make it into a business that is good? Religious/spiritual centres all over the world take in lots of money, and often they pay no taxes. Why not use this money for good social causes? Instead of funding holy wars and business houses and political parties, can they not create hospitals and schools, counselling centres, afforestation drives, micro-finance groups, and social awareness camps? For all the flak that many of the new age spiritual gurus get, a few of them are seriously involved with this kind of social change. They should be hailed as changemakers rather than booed for the occasional puerile, pseudoscientific remark.
In the third chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, there is an episode that Krishna recalls about Prajapati, the lord of the creatures, creating human beings. Prajapati tells the humans, "Nourish the devas and they will reward you in return. By nourishing one another you shall attain the supreme good! Pleased with your selfless service, the devas will fulfil your wishes." Krishna then reminds Arjuna that "one who enjoys those gifts without giving back anything in return is a thief". (BG 3.11-12)
Who are these devas? From our puranas, we know that they are divine beings who live in heaven. But they are a symbol for the elements and forces of nature. They are deified versions of wind, water, fire, earth, time, sun, rain, oceans, mountains, plants, and animals. We should nourish nature if we want to be nourished by it and for natural goodness to prevail.
This is a great message. If we want to be supported by the natural infrastructure, we should keep aside a part of our earning towards the maintenance of this infrastructure.
Religious/spiritual institutions as well as non-profits are the largest beneficiaries of donations. Further, they are both interested in causes larger than themselves. If they combine forces, then we can dream of wholescale change in the world, for the better!
Reference:
Sreekrishna, Koti and Ravikumar, Hari. The New Bhagavad-Gita. Mason: W.I.S.E. Words, 2011.