There had been a death in the family. This was many years ago when the kids were grown up enough to ask questions without the fear of being glared at or told to keep shut. With people around there was talk about soul and heaven, rituals to be conducted and restriction on visit to temples for one year. And what I did not realise was that doubts had arisen in the minds of the young adults.
And true to their generation, when we got home, questions poured out. “Why do we have to do all these rituals? Are there reasons why we can’t go to a temple for one year? Appa, help me understand what this soul is. So if no one has seen it, how do we know it exists?” For most of these questions I had no answers - at least convincing ones.
And when I did fumble with some half baked explanations based on what I had heard over the years, there was an immediate retort “Where is it written?”
I did what a parent, who doesn’t know answers to questions his kids ask, normally does. I got angry and told them that they do not respect our culture and so much more. It led to outcries, more arguments and upset moods to add to the already depressing environment.
Later, as I sat quietly going over what had happened earlier in the day, I had to ask myself the question that the kids had raised. What is the proof? Most of our scriptures have been passed down over the ages through the word of mouth. So no written proof!!!!
This thought drifted into a different set of thoughts. I caught myself asking equally strange questions to myself. Why are there 26 letters in the English alphabet? Who has said that the letter C has to come before the letter D? Why have all the vowels not been placed together?
Where is it written?
My upset mind wandered further. “Why don’t we question the names of the colours or even the colour of colours? Why is the colour of the sky that we all see called Blue and not Green. I mean a Green Sky and Grey coloured leaves? Who decided these names and colours?”
Where is it written?
It has been passed over the ages by the word of mouth, right? So no written proof!!!!
I realised most of what we accept has no written proof, only tradition and agreement passed down over the ages. Perhaps that is how it’s always been — whether with rituals or alphabets or with colours.
I still don’t know if my kids were right that day. Maybe none of us really do. Their questions make sense, yet a part of me still feels there are things best carried without asking why.
Just thinking…
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