"What do you think are the functions of a religion?"  Mr Patnaik asked Sachin continuing their previous discussion.

[Their previous discussions can be read at: Irrational Knowledge and Fundamentalism - Two Kinds.]

Sachin thought for a while.  What really is the function of religion, he wondered.  He was too intelligent to think that the function of religion was to make people pray.  Prayer by itself has no value.  Moreover, for praying religion is not a necessary condition. 

"To make people better human beings," said Sachin finally.

"What makes people better human beings?"

"Certain qualities and moral values, I think."

"Fine.  Therefore, shall we way: one function of religion is to nurture certain qualities and human values?"

"One function?  Are you saying that there are other functions too?"

"Well, what do you say?"

Sachin remembered that the subconscious mind had played a big role in this discussion so far.  So he decided to make a guess.  "To answer the problems of the subconscious."

"Good.  What do you think is the most serious problem of the subconscious?"

That was difficult.  The subconscious is a purely subjective thing.  It varies from individual to individual.  So can there be very many common problems?  Even if there are, can any one problem be the most serious for the majority of people?

"The quest for happiness," said Sachin hesitantly.  All the people he knew wanted to be happy.

"What makes people happy?"

Difficult again.  Different people found happiness in different ways.  Money?  But there were so many artists in Paris in the last century who lived miserable lives and yet were happy to live as long as they could go on with their job of painting.  There are so many people who are not rich and yet are happy.  Would Einstein have been happy if he were given a lot of wealth but no freedom to think?  No, it's not money that keeps people happy.  People keep searching for something.  What's it?  Contentment?  A sense of purposefulness in life? 

And then it occurred to him all of a sudden: meaning.  People are searching for meaning in their life. 

Mr Patnaik patted him on the back. 

"Meaning is the most elusive thing in life, perhaps," said Mr Patnaik.  "So many philosophers, artists, saints and visionaries have tried to bring meaning into human existence in different ways.  The other major function of religion is precisely this: bring meaning into life.  Meaning is one of the most acute demands of the subconscious too.  Religion provides the easiest meaning, the easiest answer to all problems of the subconscious; GOD is that answer."

"What about those who don't believe in God?  Do they find no meaning in life?  Do they not require it?"

"They too find their own meanings.  The rational intellect can give you better meaning if you care to find it that way. There have been many thinkers who were atheists."

"Yes, I remember your lecture on Albert Camus and Jean-Paul Sartre."

"They were Existentialists.  Existentialism was an intellectually honest way of looking for meaning in life.  Those philosophers accepted life as absurd and yet found meaning in living it, living it as a challenge, a defiance of the blind forces that put us here on the earth.  Other atheistic thinkers too found meaning in their own ways."

"So, is religion needed only for those who are unable to find rational, intellectual answers to the questions related to the meaning and purpose of our existence?"

"What do you think?"

"There are a lot of intelligent people who believe in religion."

"Yes.  So maybe even some intelligent people find religion useful.  See, Sachin, religion has certain rituals, myths, and practices that appeal to certain forces in the subconscious mind of people.  Many of the religious rituals can work on the psyche like drugs and bring about transformations however brief they may be."

"Like drugs?"

"I think so.  I have watched many people performing different religious rituals especially during festivals or pilgrimages.  Very often they seemed to me like people who were under the effect of some drug.  In some cases there were violent activities.  Sometimes, sober ones.  Sometimes, even sublime responses were noticed."

"Even the arts, cinema, literature and so on can have similar effects on the human mind."

"Yes, of course.  The arts and religions - they all have this 'taming' effect on the mind.  That's one of their major functions."

"So religion does serve some function; it's not obsolete," said Sachin remembering the previous day's question.

"But do the religions fulfil that function effectively today?  Many of them are failing.  That's why people are turning towards new cults, gurus, and religious movements."

"Commercialisation - that has played a big role in killing the meaning of myths and rituals, I think.  Diwali today is not about the myth of the conquest of the evil by the good.  It's about how much firework you can display.  How many people you can impress.  Politicisation - that's another issue.  Ram's rath is today Advani's air-conditioned rath. People must have got sick of these things."

"Don't say such things loud, Sachin... I think I must stop this conversation here. Tomorrow onwards we shall speak about the wires and cables of New India."

"But, sir, you said you published a part of  this dialogue in Sulekha blogs and got some questions which you have to answer..."

"Doesn't matter, Sachin.  In Sulekha, like in the world, nobody takes anything seriously.  They will forget this dialogue too just as they forget a cup of coffee they had when they were tired."

"But, sir, we started this dialogue saying that mythos is a form of knowledge and you said that one of your commentators had a serious objection to that."

"Yes, Shajan; he wants an alternative to religion.  But he wants the alternative to be rational.  There's no rational alternative.  The only alternative is wisdom."

"What's wisdom, sir?"

Mr Patnaik was at a loss.  How can one explain wisdom.  It is the fragrance of the rose.  It is the elegance of the dance.  It is the delicacy of the dew drop.  It is...

"Wisdom is knowing when to stop talking."

Mr Patnaik laughed.

Sachin too laughed.  He understood what his teacher meant.