Sci-fi, God and inspirational things...

by Tony | 2/05/2009 in , |

Most of my friends know this about me already: I am a sci fi fan. I love most things of the genre: Star-Trek, Doctor Who, Star Wars, etc. I also really like Battlestar Galactica (both the high-camp 1970s version and the current 're-imagined' masterpiece).


Now I don't commonly attach any particular religious significance to sci-fi, I just enjoy it for the escapism and the story-telling so imagine my surprise and delight when tonight I happened across the translation of the lyrics used in the main titles of Battlestar Galactica... It's the Gayatri Mantra, sung in Sanskrit, and is a sacred verse from the Hindu tradition, although to me it speaks volumes about how we humans reach out to the Divine in all our traditions. Regardless of how we individually view those traditions and their efficacy (for want of a better word right now), that movement towards God, that reaching out, that yearning for the Divine can be stunning and beautifully profound. Discovering this verse was one of those moments of realisation of beauty that I will treasure forever.

The desire for Good, the opening of our hearts for God to guide us, that willingness of spirit to be led somewhere better and to be better than we are now... that is something we surely all can learn to appreciate and love.

No matter who you are, what your tradition is, perhaps we can all join in our hearts with this prayer:
  • Aum bhoor bhuwah swaha,
  • Tat savitur varenyam
  • Bhargo devasaya dheemahi
  • Dhiyo yo naha prachodayat

It has many translations, but the most common is:

  • Oh God! Thou art the Giver of Life,
  • Remover of pain and sorrow,
  • The Bestower of happiness,
  • Oh! Creator of the Universe,
  • May we receive thy supreme sin-destroying light,
  • May Thou guide our intellect in the right direction.
May we all be guided by our God towards the Right and the Good and may we all seek that Guidance from God whom we love.

Oh... and enjoy Battlestar Galactica on the way too! ;)

1 comments:

  1. Anonymous on 5 February 2009 at 19:35

    thanks for this post! my housemate recites the gayatri mantra every day, and it is nice to know other catholics get something out of it too!

     

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