Holier than thou..-- Pretenses!

How do you define your connection with God? Is it necessary to chant 10,000 shlokas early in the morning to be one with him? Or is it just a perception?

I believe my relationship with him is more internal than external. I do worship in my heart and I am spiritual, but not a fanatic.

" Oh that boy/girl, is too good. He/She gets up early in the morning and goes to the temple. Great principles have been imbibed in him/her by his/her parents." One of the parameters through which a person is judged by the people. But who knows the same person might be stepping outside the house and behaving in a not so conservative fashion.

The point being, if someone chooses to not put on a miss-goody-two-shoes attitude and presents oneself the way that person is inside out , does it make them a bad person. If someone chooses to not go to the temple regularly, but feel connected to god in the confinement of their own room in some solitary time, does it make them any less spiritual? If you follow all the dogmatic rituals, you are a god fearing human being, but what if you choose to ignore them? How about those god-fearing aunty-ji's who make it a point to attend each and every kirtan gathering in the temple and in their locality, but often end up with bitching sessions about the who's who of the locality in the end of what should have been a spiritually awakening session...

Many a times, people follow a religious or spiritual leader, for the sheer joy of being looked upon as spiritual human beings. Some people worship, because they want to save themselves from the wrath of gods.( Or so they think!!)

Some people I have met, are hypocrites of the first degree in these cases. They would go on and on and on about how they follow certain rituals and how they are so religious and how they find solace in god and only god and how they have nothing to do with the so called "Moh-Maaya". And you turn your back, and they would start ranting about , " oh which brand was she wearing" and " what car do you drive" and " who was so and so going out with" . I thought, you were away from all this, because you are a worshiper and are so wholly solely dedicated to the almighty!!!!!

This entire drama irks me to the extent that I feel like asking such people, why? Why live in pretense? If you have a connection with him, good for you. Stop demeaning those , who choose not to make their personal relationship with him not so public..