Holiness is not a destination to arrive at. It is a glorious and celebratory lifestyle (jeevitacharya) to be actively engaged in. It is not a hard chore to be tolerated and put up with. When one tastes it, one gets addicted to it. Nay, one is intoxicated by it. One joyously lives it. It is not the privilege and preserve of a few chosen ones. It is there for everyone to adopt this holy lifestyle. I reiterate the fact that there is no heroic virtue or extraordinary feat involved in it. We are all supposed to take to it as fish to water. The ingenious but unnecessary canard of original sin perpetrated on humanity long ago and perpetuated among Christians still by systematic and theological speculations constitutes the biggest impediment that comes in the way of enjoying this blissful lifestyle.

            This unquestioned impediment that considers everyone to be worthless sinners and wretches forms the steely, impenetrable mind-set that taints and essentially alters us humans, children of God, to the point of cringing before our God who is our Father and Mother and great Provider and everything else good in an infinite degree. This is the greatest travesty of truth. I want to make it very clear here that I am in no way questioning the need for God’s grace or the need for Christ as an incomparable model for humanity. This is a matter of faith alone that, while it is reasonable, cannot be reasoned. The obstacles (janmanthara papa) that result from bad karma (deed) and expressed through series of re-births necessary for liberation, and sustained by systematic philosophic speculations, constitute among Hindus an equally mis-guided mindset that condemns everyone to the helpless resignation of swimming in the seemingly endless and highly turbulent ocean to get to the shore.

            Then what do we have left? This precious, beautiful life needs to be enjoyed and celebrated with an attitude of gratitude in humility and truth. We do not need to vacillate between hedonism and stoicism. Life has its own problems sufficient for each day. We need to wisely negotiate our way every day. We just have the present, the here and now. We do not know about heaven and hell. We do not know about the previous birth. But we do know about our brothers and sisters in anguish, distress, and trouble. Holiness requires, nay, demands us to experience the unity of humanity. Humanity, splintering into so many nations, states, and communities solely on the basis of earthly, temporary interests and concerns, is led to blind and pitch dark alleys due to lack of clear vision, purpose, mission and the eternal destiny that we all are called to. We need to keep in mind that we are refugees, pilgrims in this word with a temporary status. For a long period in the United States of America my status was that of a Resident Alien (Green Card holder), and that fitted me well. I feel I am an alien in India as well as an alien in the U. S.

            The reality is that we have limited time and a very urgent task to do for God and humanity. Our mission is to love God and love everyone the way we love ourselves, to free the oppressed and the down-trodden, to be sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, and legs to the lame, and hands to the handless, to treat everyone the way God treats. Seers and sages, holy persons, and accumulated wisdom so far of humanity inspired by God and contained in world’s scriptures can guide us in our purpose and mission. One of the most powerful statements in all of scriptures relates to what God said that when we feed the hungry, clothe the naked, or do any other good deed to anyone, we do it to God: “When you did it to the least brother or sister, you did it to me”. The sum and substance of all scriptures are contained in these words: “So whatever you wish men/women would do to you, do so to them”. The seers and sages of India summed it up in this pithy saying: Satyam vada; dharmam chara (speak truth; walk righteousness). So we can be holy as our heavenly father/mother is holy. Holiness is our birthright as children of God.