Of course yes ! Unless there are no alternatives. To travel from my home city in Bangalore to Mumbai I could consider taking an over-night bus, enjoy self drive, fly above the clouds, train, or may be even just walk. Its all possible.
Each mode involves certain time, effort and resources and in-turn there is something you get in each of these modes of transport which the other cant offer.
I am well aware, that you quite know to make the best use of advise from friends, online portals and from your own experience for any travel planning. I dont have anything more to say here.
I am more interested with a different travel. One that starts from ourvery own self towards a destination called ‘God’, ‘Higher Self’, ‘The Absolute’, ‘Inner Self’, ‘State of Existence’, ‘Enlightenment’, ‘Integrated Personality’, ‘Absolute Consciousness’ and et al. There are many ways in which the destination is described and given names. I firmly believe that all of these refer to the same destination.
The journey towards that destination is what is commonly called as ‘Religion’. The origin of this word is a latin word ‘re-ligare’ which means ‘again-connect/bind’. It means to ‘re-connect’. The different religions such as Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, Sufism, Sikhism, etc are like the different modes of transport available for us to undertake this journey to re-connect, to reach that destination.
Today, I have the liberty to choose my mode of transport with an understanding of what is the time, effort and resources required to undertake the journey. We might prefer something and people might advise me differently. At times, we might have constraints to choose. Unaffordability, time and other such constraints. Nevertheless, its not something to fight over and loose lifes, definetly.
Similarly, I would imagine, that each individual has the choice of religion (mode of trasport for lifes journey) to reach that destination. By the age of 18, would expect the education system through schools and parents at home have educated the child about the various religions, its precepts, time, effort and resources it entails to follow the norms and thereby every child can make a choice freely, fearlessly, without being ridiculed, prosecuted or judged.
We choose our place of higher studies, we choose how we wish to commute, we choose what we wish to wear, we choose where to dine, cant we also choose how we wish to travel in lifes journey ? Cant it be just like the other things we choose without much ado, like every other choice we make?
What do you think about this? Can we make such a shift in our understaning and approach to Religion?
संस्कृतम् 
I like the thought, but today in Europe many countries have a setup on similar lines. The kid once grown up can choose the church he wants to be part of. But to woo the kids churches offer gifts that the kids of age would like. So most kids choose church for what they get like bikes (cycles), gadgets etc… When they grow up their understanding of religion is confined to this and they move on with life. Some become free thinkers. Moving of one’s self towards the higher consciousness, needs to have the urge within. As long Good is feared, i doubt if it will happen.
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Hmm…didn’t know about this. Should the kid choose the church or can also opt for other religions like Buddhism, Islam, etc?
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The connection of traveling through different modes transport to taking journey of life is presented beautifully.
There are two reflections
One is the pathways are different but the destination is same.
Second it connects vyashti, samashti .shrushti and paremesti when this undercurrent truth is realised then we realise opting a self made choices may not take to the higer levels.
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