Couple of weeks back I had watched the 1995 Hollywood blockbuster ‘Seven’. The movie is about seven sins of human life. The seven sins according to the movie are:

Greed

Gluttony

Sloth

Lust

Pride

Envy

Wrath

The protagonist chooses gruesome ways to tell his moral story. It seems the strong message of the movie gets lost in the brutality of the crime scenes. But on omitting all the bloodshed and cruelty, the movie gives us enough food for thought. Invariably, knowingly or unknowingly we end up committing on of the seven sins at some point or the other. And most of the times we get away after committing these sins. It’s only when these sins pile up that we feel the brunt of it.

Taking hint from the movie here are my seven sins that we may commit in a human relationship.

Infidelity:

Infidelity is disloyalty in a relationship. It is well understood sin needs no further explanation. It is better not to enter into a relationship then being disloyal in it.

Miscommunication:

The first victim of a fight in a relationship is communication. We stop talking. I guess that’s the easy way out to avoid further fight. If talking can avoid further fights cann't it avoid fight in the first place? Having clear and upfront communication can save lot of time we spent fighting and then patching up. Also not communicating enougt leads to assumptions and then misunderstanding. 

Compromising Integrity:

Sometimes brutal honesty can be fatal. But then integrity in a relationship is must and at no time that can be compromised.

Taking for granted:

Lot of my friends say that in friendship there is no 'sorry' and 'thank you'. I wonder why? If we ever have to be thankful to soembody then we should be towards people we share a relationship with. They stand by us during our thick and thin. Never ever take any relationship for granted. You may loose the relationship even before realising it.

Disrespect for contradictory idea:

Not always will others have similar ideas as your own. Respect for contradictory ideas is must. Sometimes it becomes difficult but then sincere effort should be put in to respect ideas that may not be pleasing.

Walking out:

One of the easy solutions to a confrontation in a relationship is to walk out of it. In this world of internet and fast food, quick romance takes precedence over old ripped relationship. In a bitter argument walking out always plays in the back of our mind. And thus we don’t put in efforts to make the relationship work. Relationships don’t happen on their own we make them happen.  

Staleness:

This is an unusual kind of sin which most of us unknowingly commit. A plant as soon as it enters into a relationship with sun begins to grow. And so should we in a relationship. Refusing to grow is stopping to learn. And this creates staleness. You cannot be happy if you are stale. Can you?

Keep these seven sins in mind and have a happy relationship. May be someday I will make a sequel to the original ‘Seven’.

---------*********-----------

One of my British colleagues inquired, ‘do you believe in after-life’? Being a practising Hindu I had to be careful with my reply. For I knew his next question would be ‘why’?

Hinduism preaches the concept of after-life. But then the Hinduism I have been bought up with lets me ask questions and seek answers. It is not bonded in dogmas. It shows me a path to inner peace and growth. There is enough flexibility in Hinduism to pick and choose my own set of beliefs until the broader framework of love, respect and oneness to God is not broken.

I have questioned many beliefs of Hinduism and it has been an interesting phase of learning, un-learning and re-learning so far. In the quest of knowing myself and my surrounding I have evolved my religion. Thanks to some good books and enlightening discussions I have an enriched religion. I don’t force my religion on to others nor do I easily accept anything that’s said or written about it. They say, ‘journey for knowing oneself is never ending’, and so shall it be.

Believing in after-life gives us an excuse not to live the present life to the fullest. It works as a perfect alibi for every misery we face in this life. I know many who accept whatever is thrown at them as a consequence of actions from previous life. It’s an easy way out. For challenging the status quo and swimming against the tide needs more then strong believe system.

I don’t know if there is after-life or not. Like nobody knew if gravitation existed before Newton proved it. I don’t know if the new Newton would come in this life time to tell us how and why after-life exists. But I am comfortable in not believing in after-life. It gives me the strength to challenge the situation I am in. I don’t take anything for granted or as given.

Everything starts and ends with myself. My god resides in myself. And so does everybody else’s. As the corollary to this believe: 

Ø       I take each day as it comes. For I don’t know how many more days are to come.

Ø       I never take things for granted or given. For I don’t know how long it will last.

Ø       I don’t believe in impossibility. For I don’t know who dictates what is possible and not.

I will be honest in saying that not always does this work. Sometimes I feel like giving up all to destiny / unknown / consequence of after-life. But then that’s how it is suppose to be. Some days are rainy and some are not. Sun may be hidden but is never lost even in the sky with the darkest clouds.       

 ---------*********-----------