My spiritual Master used to tell me, “You do not have respect and reverence like we had toward our Masters.” Today, many parents complain that this generation does not have respect and reverence toward parents as soon they had toward their own parents. In the old days, wives did not even call their husbands by their names. What has changed? The notion of freedom and equality. We do not take life as seriously today. There is also financial freedom today. So, have we also changed our respect and reverence for God? In a way, yes. We do not follow the rules and regulations of structured religions. Many have lost faith in God’s existence. Yet, God is easy and loving. He does not require respect and reverence to give love and grace. You can think, talk, and obey at your convenience. You benefit by faith and letting go. No formal training or studies of scriptures are required to pray. Choose any chant you want to develop your focus. You can have an image, or no image, for the Lord. Speak in any language. You can even experience God with tremendous hatred. If God is not tough, why is it tough for the world to receive respect and reverence? The answer is simple. We give respect and reverence to our elders to get their blessings, love, and experience. It is to show gratitude for all they do for us. This discipline will help us grow. Giving respect and reverence makes us humble and helps us learn from the experience of others. Thank God for being cool, otherwise I would not have a relationship with Him. Yet, I wish I could show more respect and reverence in my life. — Satish Daryanani
