By Kollengode S Venkataraman

Published in Vol. 1, No. 2, January 1996

In late September 1995, The Associated Press reported that “… … thousands of Hindus across India rushed to temples after reports that statues of gods were miraculously drinking milk.” The New York Times (September 22nd, 1995) covered the story under the rhetorical caption “Does God of learning drink milk?” with the subtitle, “Some Hindus flock, but scientists mock.” Other regional newspapers in the US and in other parts of the world used more colorful titles for the story, partly with the idea of drawing the average readers’ attention.  

Hindus of course do not have a monopoly over miracles. Sporadically we read stories about weeping Madonnas, blood drops from the wounds of Jesus on the cross, and other apparitions, among the implicitly faithful, these stories bring out a sense of awe and fear. However, skeptics have always had problems with miracles, especially when they are contemporary, or when they happen in faith  systems other than their own.

Not surprisingly, if miracles are very old, they gain wider acceptance. Ancient religions are chock full of these stories. Examples: stories in Hindu epics and puranas and Mahayana Buddhism.  Also, miracles are central to semitic religions as well.  In the Old Testament, God, only six-thousand plus years ago by one reckoning, creates the universe just in six days. Moses splits the Red Sea with his staff and God speaks to Moses from a burning tree that remains fresh while still burning, and gives him the Ten Commandments, In the New Testament, Mary conceives Jesus nonconjugally with divine intervention, and Jesus is resurrected from the cross. In Islam. Allah stops Ibrahim when he was about to sacrifice his son Easaac… … Well, you get the idea.

For the implicitly faithful, miracles are meaningful and the source of immense spiritual strength simply because of their belief, despite the stories being literally fantastic. Throughout history, the sophisticated among the faithful have interpreted miracles not literally, but in metaphorical and allegorical terms. Often these allegories, rather than the discursive discussions, effectively convey subtler and profound messages, even for those outside the system of beliefs.

Does one have to literally believe in miracles to be religious and to be spiritual? Before seeking answers to this question, let us look at the human predicament. Even though collectively we have come a long way in our understanding of Nature every level of understanding has only led to more basic questions on how and why the external world is the way it is and how and why we are what we are. While collectively humankind has enormous resources, individually we feel quite fragile and powerless. Naturally, we seek answers not only in modern physics, but in metaphysic as well; not only in biology, but also in psychology.

Our religious experience has two parts. One is external, outside our body. These can be images of the Holy Cross, the Holy Crescent, or the Torah,  the mystical Om, the serene images of the Buddha completely at peace with himself, or any other abstract concept or idea. The second part is internal. Inside every one of us. This is the personalized individual spiritual experiences ,,conditioned and cultivated by training in tradition, indoctrination, and acculturation. Or it can be the implicit faith these images kindle in us. Language and logic are inadequate for communicating this experience to those outside the belief system.

Miracles focus only on the external part of our religious experience. Those who promote them, appeal to, and often exploit, the implicit faith of followers. At their very best, overemphasis on miracles distracts our attention from the internal conflicts we confront every day between good and bad, right and wrong, expediency and value – the conflicts for which we seek guidance for resolution. At worst, it confuses many, often making us wonder, “Is this all that religion has to offer?” And finally, when these miracles are explained by science, many of the faithful become skeptics. This is unfortunate.

However, if we emphasize the second internal part as an equally important aspect of our spiritual experience, we may become expansive. In this spiritual climb, religions can be effective ladders, provided our approach is honest. In fact, to be spiritual, one does not even have to be religious, in the ordinary sense of the word. Spirituality does not distinguish between theism and atheism. It transcends them.

Is faith necessary? For coping with the inner roller coaster ride of life, one has to be strong in spirit whether one believes in an external God or not. Often, in hopeless situations, all that we have is the inner strength we get from our faith, spirit and will. Therefore, people, through ages, have recognized that faith, either in the inner self or spirit, or in an external being, is often necessary to overcome the challenges of life.

We need spiritual leg strength:

• to accept gracefully all the inevitable transitions in life and patiently endure the trials of life with fortitude, and

• to weather the psychological storms when bigger changes or disappointments abruptly come our way, so that we recover quickly and get on with our lives, without being a burden on society.

Even modern medicine, we may note, recognizes that patients’ will, hope, and optimism, often conditioned by their own belief system, help them during recovery from debilitating illnesses.

It does not really matter whether we believe if the spirit is operating freely by itself, or as an agent or part of the external all-knowing God. Often theologians get stuck in pedantic discussions in splitting hairs over the subtle differences over abstract concepts. And one may add, when theologians are able to incite enough followers on all sides, the followers, instead of splitting theological hairs, slit each other’ throats in the name of their God and religion.

For having this inner strength,

• Do we have to believe literally in miracles such as the ones in this write-up? Probably not.

• Do allegories help us to understand ourselves better? You bet they do.

• Do we have to have faith either in our own inner self, or in an external God, whatever be their inner interrelationships? Most certainly yes.

For those who live under great many uncertainties, if the days are predictable, and the sun rises and sets uneventfully, that in themselves are big miracles for rejoicing and for looking at future with optimism and hope.  ∎