Survival depend on the compassion one can cultivate within oneself and on the swift realisation that religious differences are myths. When, on being compelled, I decided to speak at a spiritual gathering in New Jersey, I told them of my belief that God is pervasive like ether and has no form, no colour, no name. Our work is undone. I had not guessed the bigoted nature of the group till I was escorted there innocently by a doctor-friend of mine. These days, at places of worship, one hardly sees a peaceful expression on any face.
Every devotee frowns and sulks.
Each looks frustrated. There is a cruel glint in the eye. Avarice and concupiscence are evident in abundance. They conduct a rite known as sathru-samharan which in plainer language means the killing of one's enemy. Once I had escorted a friend to a temple in Trichur and was standing in a queue to talk to the clerk at the counter.