“You have stopped thinking when you assert that it is there.”
— J. Krishnamurti
Hinduism encourages the practice of Ishta devata — a deity preferred by an individual. I can pray to a deity and you can pray to another one. For us, no single deity possesses all traits; each has unique ones. Shiva is all about contentment, Ma Sitā embodies purity and endurance, while Rāma is the epitome of virtue.
Depending on the traits we want to imbibe, we worship a deity. But that doesn’t make one better than the other.
The same is true for thoughts and beliefs—each one has its own value. Like certain traditions, we should let go of the ones that become redundant, which we can do when we keep a beginner’s mind. But when we become rigid about our beliefs, we will fail to see the value in other ones. Hubris follows, turning us into sitting ducks for competitors with a pragmatic perspective.
Keep a beginner’s mind. Build perspectives based on facts rather than trying to twist facts to make them align with your preset theories. Life is not a textbook, nor is it a to-do list. Life is a set of Lego blocks that you can use to build anything. Use those blocks to build something interesting.