It is important to not only follow Prophet Muhammad, but make your own good judgement

Newspapers are full of articles, such as this one from Javed Anand, with references to how Prophet Muhammad forgave people who insulted him. The key message in Javed Anand’s article is as follows:

The choice is simple. Nothing can justify violence. So the “Muslim rage” must be unequivocally condemned and freedom of expression defended, never mind the motive behind the making of the 14-minute film and its pathetic cinematic quality.

That there can be no democracy without fundamental freedoms we already know…

Read the statements of religious and political leaders as well as editorials and letters to the editor in Urdu newspapers. Take, for example, a letter by a Saudi Arabia-based Indian, Abdul Rehman Mohammed Yahya, published simultaneously as a boxed/lead letter in the Monday editions of three Urdu dailies in Mumbai: Inquilab, Rashtriya Sahara and Sahafat. The gist of the long letter is a rhetorical question addressed to fellow Muslims: “What did Prophet Muhammad do in the face of repeated insults heaped on him during his lifetime?” The answer: he forgave them.

However, a response to this above article by Javed Anand, written by CM Naim appeared in the Indian Express today. It clarifies that Muhammad had acted differently as well. And that Muslims, depending upon their predisposition choose to act in a different way. He also points out that the interpretation of Blasphemy in even India is *not* limited to an insult to the Prophet of Islam. Here’s the gist of the author’s message:

Surely, the present Muslim definition of “blasphemy” is not limited to “any insult to the Prophet of Islam”? Even in India, there are at least two prominent anti-“blasphemy” movements at play among the Muslims under the guise of “Tahaffuz” (Protection): Tahaffuz-i-Khatm-i-Nabuwat (Protection of the Finality of Prophethood), accusing the Ahmadis of “blasphemy”; and Tahaffuz-i-Namus-i-Sahaba (Protection of the Honour of the Companions of the Prophet), accusing the Shias of “blasphemy”. Not to mention the accusations of “blasphemy” against Salman Rushdie and Taslima Nasrin.

Second, while Anand is right in stating that it “is a universal Muslim belief that the Prophet never retaliated to repeated insults to him, through either word or deed”— and, indeed, the vast majority of Muslims live by that belief, and many may even try to emulate it in their own lives — it is also true that a few enemies of the Prophet were ordered by him to be mortally punished, including one or two who verbally abused him (1). A devout Muslim, therefore, may claim a right to follow whichever tradition suits his own inclination.

There is no citation offered by the author, and thus i cannot back the claim. However, given the author’s credentials — Professor Emeritus South Asian Languages and Civilizations, University of Chicago — i would presume he knows his history well.

Now, Krishna did all sorts of manipulation and killed and got killed several people in the Mahabharata to win a “just war”. Debates on the just-ness of the Mahabharata war, and the dilemma of “What is Dharma?” is extremely well articulated and debated in the book by Gurcharan Das titled “The Difficulty of Being Good“.

My objective of bringing up Krishna’s case here is to clarify my stand that i am not denigrating Muhammad. I am actually writing this post for another purpose.

Just yesterday i was having a debate with a muslim friend about the need to question our religious belief systems, and giving more importance to our own derived experience and feelings (and even intellectual rationalization). He expressed, that this would then be like “creating ones own religion“.

Coming back to Krishna. While we Hindus treat Krishna (and Rama) as an “avatar” of the Creator, we are “free” to criticize and question the actions of our gods, gurus messengers and prophets. Books such as the “Difficulty of Being Good” are coming out of such deep introspection and judging Krishna by the moral standards of the society today. And this is the case amongst even devout non-intellectualizing Hindus.

Today’s article and the concluding sentence of the author — “A devout Muslim, therefore, may claim a right to follow whichever tradition suits his own inclination.” – clarifies that there is no *one righteous way defined by Muhammad*, as is claimed by the news articles (and by my friend), but it is open to interpretation based on the predisposition of the devout reader.

Hence, my stand that we need to question and find our own way amidst what feels right to our heart – *away from “belief” as taught by the culture and society we are born in* — and towards what  our intellect, wisdom, personal experience, good judgment suggests, in-line with the times we live in.

I end with a quote from Mahatma Gandhi, and with a reference to a book by Herman Hesse – “Siddhartha” which speaks about the “search” of this man called Siddhartha, who declines to follow the tallest messenger of his times – Gautama Buddha – gaining his blessings, and having the courage to leave the *Sangha* to follow his own spiritual search; in which, he succeeds.

“Persistent questioning & healthy inquisitiveness are the first requisite for acquiring learning of any kind” ~ Gandhi

“Democracy and basic rights are the only principles we can rally around”

“His is the face of a fanatic. Someone so deeply convinced about his own ideas that he has ceased listening to anyone else. He is willing to sacrifice himself and others for what he believes to be the one single truth: the dream of a homogenous and monocultural society, a “pure” place to live.

The Oslo killer has searched history, ideologies and racism for legitimacy. He has been able to find like-minded people on the Internet, supporting his utopian idea of being able to exclude all the “others,” those with different ideas and cultures.

Preventing fanaticism takes a democratic tradition with an understanding that all societies are pluralistic. We will never find an idea, a language, or a culture that everybody can agree to. As much as we might feel frustrated about it, our reality is a multifaceted, multicultural world. Democracy and basic human rights are the only principles that we can rally around, that will allow us to manage our different views and find political compromises to ensure that we live with respect for one another.

The most important fight today is against fanaticism and extremism in all religions and ideologies, against prejudices that will bring us back to the darkness of the Middle Ages.

Fear and intolerance are far-reaching weapons and the most important battlefields are people’s minds and thoughts. But we have too many historical examples of violence as a method for fanatics. Even though they might not lead to genocide, ethnic cleansing or other atrocities, propaganda about “cultural purity” creates suffering and fanaticism.”

Full of profundity read this complete article at at: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/forget-the-name-of-the-oslo-killer/847723/0

 

An urgent need for reform in Islam

There is a raging debate i started by saying “Why do people prefer to use “Allah” instead of using “God” while communicating in English. Isn’t it the same Thing?“. I stated this because i read my colleague recently sent the following response to my “Eid greetings” : “Eid Mubarak to all .. May Allah guide us and bless us with Peace.”.

The response was all with blessings, which i welcomed. It is just the out-of-context use of the word Allah versus using God, while writing an English sentence which reminded me of the orthodoxy in Islam, and thus i tweeted, rather casually, expressing as i usually do whatever is going on in my head that point in time.

The tweet led to a massive debate and criticism on Twitter (http://twitter.com/#!/rahuldewan/status/108829654919561216) and Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10150362764405269&id=606055268).

Here’s my last response to the ranging debate on Facebook which i tried to post, but Facebook rejected due to the size of the post. Thanks to my critics, Navin and Mir, the primary participants in the debate i’ve been able to articulate my thoughts here well.

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Navin:

When Mir says “every religion cannot be the same” (and when you defend him) it is true. Trouble is what he really means is that “all roads DO NOT lead to the same Divine Being”, and that it is ONLY ISLAM which does, and all other people are on the “wrong path”, for whom he prays that they find the “only true path”.

This same sentiment translates into his recent tweet, “God is not equal to Allah”, which resonates with what Aliya says above. Even the reference to the Creator of this mighty Universe, in a different language calls for it to be false.

The names of Allah are 99 – all Arabic; the rest of the people of the world whoever refer to this migthy creator in a language and culture that they were born in, are on the wrong and untrue path, and are destined for “hell”.

This is exactly what orthodox roman catholics say about their religion and their version of the Creator; and further even call Muhammad a “Devil”.  (By the way, you all should know that “Mahatma Gandhi” is stated to have gone to Hell, by the claims of most orthodox Roman Catholics, and their friends the Wahabis).

Now, manage the emotions of such fanatic believers on both sides – would you expect anything but the Holy Wars of the middle ages?

Muhammad himself was at the forefront of “breaking the images” of ‘gods and goddesses’ (ah, notice the small “g” please) temple, including that of Jesus and Mary. The primary deity of the Kabba was a goddess called “Al-Mannat”, alongwith two more (incidentally, he only “kissed” a black stone (black stones of reverence in hinduism are typically called “pindis”, and are known to be energy centers).

You should also know, according to “some historians”, purportedly the statue of Al-Mannat was saved somehow, and transferred via Iraq/Iran to India – to Hind as they called it then. Some even say that “Somnath” in Gujarat got it’s name because of Al-Mannat.
–

This same culture of destroying temples and places of worship was followed by invaders and muslim kings such as Aurangzeb, in India.

Worse, it is the same belief systems, which have not only killed Al-Hallaj. Please go to his Wikipedia page and you shall learn that he used to enter “trance-like” states where he used to call himself Allah. This is the same thing that has occurred to tens and tens of people who come out of meditative states. Sufism actually documents this as a state of merging with the divine. Sai Baba, the hugely popular “muslim saint” across the sub-continent, used to enter similar states, and alternate between “calling himself Allah”, and then calling himself a “servant of Allah”.

These same trance-like states occur to Shamans and Red Indians regularly. Predictions, Oracles, all exist at such levels. Must i remind you, that such practices are banned in the Arab world (even though they are quietly accepted to be non-existent – even while they thrive in sanctity of some homes – by the Islamic state in countries like Egypt and Iran. I’ve met muslims from Iran at Khajuraho who share their experiences, and thus can speak about this first hand).

In any other country, other than India, whose DNA has been formed by its Hindu roots, he would have been killed – and that too by making him bleed, cutting off his hands, cutting his arms, and finally burning him alive – just like Al-Hallaj was; once again please go to Wikipedia for a historical gory record. He was a mystic saint, just like Rumi. Rumi some say was smart, as he avoided the talking about the special mental states he reached, where he made profound statements. People called him the “Prophet of the East” – but he gently and smartly reminded them to focus on Allah, and not bother with him (perhaps, he knew the fanatics would go after him, if he claimed any closeness to the state Muhammad reached).

Baha’ullah, Mirza Ghulam Ahmed, and many of their ilk, who reached similar states of what is called Prophet-hood after reaching meditative depths, just as Muhammad did during his time in a cave. Most english versions define – of what he did in the cave was “meditate”. However, sadly, this meditative state of what Muhammad did, has been forgotten and a divine-chosen right to Prophethood – and that too the last one ordained upon him.
–

If Islam was a socio-economic-politico response to a certain people and times – and i would agree with that, then it should be try and change and adapt to the new socio-politico-economic change in the new society we live in today. All religions should.

I could accept Muhammad breaking all the images and transforming Kabba (even while retaining the sanctity of the original temple, and even the black stone) – as probably he had compulsions to do so, to reform that society.

But this needs to stop now. No one is Muhammad now, and we live in a completely different socio-economic-political society. We must change, and reform.

Hinduism actually claims, including the much maligned laws written by Manu on caste-order, that all laws of religion MUST be according to the “social and geographic conditions of the period” that the society is living in. Manu, wrote this himself, towards the end of his Manu-Smriti.

It is often forgotten, that the system only defined 4 classes of people, and never restructured them by birth. This is well-documented across, and from Parshu Ram, to Valmiki, there have been many examples of cross-over based on “work” rather than “birth” of a human being, in hindu mythology. However, this debate is for another time.

However, true to this culture – reformers have come – by the hordes, to change the social order of the Hindu society, and reject the sick and archaic Hindu system of casteism, sati, early marriage, and so on.

But other religions, specifically Islam – thanks to the orthodox and basal interpretations of the Quran – do not adopt any reform, or conform to change in society. Even the “Supreme Court of India” as recent as February 2011, made a categorical statement that “the government‘s attempts to reform personal laws don’t go beyond Hindus”.
–

Now, imagine going to a Sikh (or to me, a Hindu, who loves Guru Nanak, just as i love Rumi) and telling him that your Guru was a “Pir” and NOT a Prophet. This by the way a follower of the path of Sufism would say – which is a mild and spiritual form of Islam.

To make matters worse, Wahabis like Mir, would say that “Pirs are nothing but Dhongi Babas” – something he has stated to me in another debate earlier. Mir and his ilk, considers Sufis, as heretics. Left to them, Sufism and Sufi thought would perhaps be eradicated, and give way to the order of the Quran alone – with an interpretation that they made, and no one else (the Ahemediyas as an example have a different interpretation of some key principles: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmadiyya).

This is the same sentiment that unfortunately, most muslims that you come across or read about in newspapers, share.

This is the reason that Ba’hais, and Ahemdiyas are a “repressed” and “persecuted” minority where they still practice, and completely been shunted out from other places of their birth.

The Bahais came to India, and the local kings offered them land and protection, after they were persecuted in the Islamic Iran. They flourished from this land, and went everywhere else in the world, spreading the message of ONE God – who they call Allah, God, Jehova, or whatever whoever wants to call Her by (oh did i remind you of the mind-boggling debate among roman catholics and agree that God cannot be referred to as HER; only HIM).

The Ahmediyas have been persecuted, almost eliminated in Sind, Pakistan, and have migrated to Germany and US – who, like the lage-hearted India, have welcomed them and given them citizenship of their countries. I have personally met and heard this story from an Ahemdiya family on a German metro in 2001.

It is the same Wahabis belonging to the Sunni order, who are bombing the hell out of Shias at Mosque gatherings in Karachi.
–

A few years back i was in Shimla and walked early morning to a temple, and started asking the only Sadhu sitting there questions on religion. The conversation led to a point where this illiterate man basically concluded that people refer to the Almighty in many ways and many languages; some personalize them by giving specific aspects of them a human shape to relate to them; while others do not give any form; but you know all such seeking leads to the same ONE Divine – the ONE Creator.

This is a message of creating harmony.

This is the same message that another sikh, considered a revered Guru to many, Baba Virsa Singh was inspired by when he built the Gobind Sadan – where there is a Mosque as well – where women are allowed to offer Namaz inside, and even i offered Namaz. To make matters even more interesting, the Imam of the mosque comes every evening at prays at the “statue” of Jesus Christ and offers prayers alongwith Ms. Mary Pat, now the patron saint of this Gurudwara. Know more about Gobind Sadan here.
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When you criticize Hinduism, and you SHOULD (by the way – your books will not be banned; neither will you be persecuted most often; please do not state the exceptions of people like Hussain!), please do so with a balance and in comparison to the scale of the mess.

It is because of this “hindu culture” that you are having this debate freely. I dare not say any of this being in the Middle East – my hands would be chopped off, and sent to Jail for better part of my life atleast).

It is because of this culture, that there are “Dargahs” of “Muslim Pirs/Saints” are existing in the subcontinent. These shrines where hindus and muslims of the subcontinent go to offer prayers and seek gifts of the Divine, have been nearly eliminated from Afganistan onwards till North-Africa. They remain and thrive in India, and because of the Indian-Hindu culture in Pakistan and Bangladesh. They are doing decently well in some Central Asian countries where fanaticism is a bit less – perhaps, thanks to Russian atheism.

To end on a note of an urgent need of reform in the Mulsim society, here is an article by a muslim author that appeared in the recent issue of Tehelka: The Imam’s Wrong Call – http://www.tehelka.com/story_main50.asp?filename=Op030911coverstory2.asp.

Proselytizing – the crux of the world’s problems

Recently, i came across a post on Christian missionaries praising themselves on converting the Irula tribesmen of Kerala (traditionally the ‘snake catcher’ community) to Christianity:

A pastor came to Mani’s village five years ago and told him about Jesus, the Son of the living God who is greater than the gods of health and harvest that his family worshiped. Mani asked if Jesus could heal him of his weak heart. The pastor prayed with him, and Mani was astonished when his health problems disappeared.

In March, Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes were delivered to children in the village and from the surrounding countryside. Mani and his wife, Pattu, rejoiced to see such beautiful gifts, further evidence of God’s love and provision.

[See: http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/prayerpoint/article/following_the_footprints/%5D

The articles ends with:

Please pray

• For Mani’s village to be a beacon of light for other tribal communities who practice idol worship.
• For our church ministry partners who face opposition and even persecution as they proclaim the Word of God in India.
• For the Operation Christmas Child follow-up discipleship program to bring many Indian children and their families to faith in Christ.

I had tweeted against this calling it a “shame”, in response to which an acquaintance in Kashmir – a Kashmiri Muslim, who i inevitably get into arguments with , responded saying:

@rahuldewan Why shame? Isn’t it a fundamental right protected by constitution of India to practice, preach & proselytize one’s religion?

The evil of proselytizing

Here’s what Mahatma Gandhi had to say about this:

Mahatma Gandhi who studied Christian proselytizing closely says that it is the “deadliest poison that ever sapped the foundation of truth,” that it is “arrogant”, that it embodies a double falsehood: he sees “no spiritual hunger” in nominal converts and “no spiritual merit” in professional missionaries. He says that a missionary is “like any vendor of goods”, and that if he had “power to legislate”, he “should certainly stop all proselytizing.” [See: http://www.voiceofdharma.com/books/ca/app5.htm%5D

and

“proselytizing under the cloak of humanitarian work is unhealthy, to say the least. It is most resented by people here”

and the sentiment is aptly captured in this post:

The resentment that Gandhi alluded to has increased in India over the years, mostly due to the persistence of religious conversions engineered by Christian evangelists who derive their financial support from foreign sources. Fundamentalist Muslims too have entered the fray in recent years with substantive financial contributions from Muslim countries interested in furthering the spread of Islam in India. Some Hindu groups have resorted to reverse conversions. All these trends are destructive to India’s time-tested culture of religious tolerance. [See: http://c-alex-alexander.sulekha.com/blog/post/2003/05/proselytization-in-india-an-indian-christian-s-perspective.htm%5D

Arun Gandhi squares the blame of the violence on proselytizing:

I call proselytizing evil because it is responsible, in a tangible way, for all the violence that we experience today. The two religions that began proselytizing are Christianity and Islam. It introduced competition in religion and got other religions like Hinduism and Buddhism, etc, also interested in proselytizing. In the old days in India — prior to independence — Christian and Islamic preachers stood on street corners to denounce Hinduism and promote their own religion. Today they do it in a more sophisticated way. Various forms of aid are offered to the poor if they would consider changing their religion. One way or the other one cannot promote one’s own without denouncing the other. [See: http://onfaith.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/panelists/arun_gandhi/2010/03/the_evil_of_proselytizing.html%5D

Proselytizing – an expression of freedom?

Utter nonsense! Both Christianity and Islam under the banners of it’s crusaders and religious bigots ruined (in some cases, attempted to but failed) complete civilizations.

As soon as Christianity came into power, heathen temples were defaced and closed and their revenues transferred to the Church. “We command that all their (heathens’) fanes, temples, shrines, if even now any remain entire shall be destroyed by the command of the magistrates” was the order of the day (Theodosius Code, 380 A.D.).

The same methods were employed when Christianity moved to the north of Europe. In Great Britain and Germany, priests and monks moved about destroying the groves and shrines of the people. The last regions to lose their religions in Europe were Prussia and the Baltic states. In the beginning of the thirteenth century, they were conquered and forcibly converted with the help of two religious-military Orders of Litvonian and Teutonic Knights.

During Medieval times, the Church taught that the Pope was “almost God on earth”; therefore the earth’s sovereignty also belonged to him. In the capacity of a overlord, he gave away the newly-discovered Americas to the Spanish king and the Eastern part of the world to King Alfonso of Portugal, “the right total and absolute, to invade, conquer and subjugate all the countries which are under the enemies of Christ, Saracene and pagan.”

Space does not permit us to narrate what Christianity did in these parts. Juan de Zumarrage, first Bishop of Mexico, writing in 1531, claimed that he personally destroyed over 500 temples and 20,000 idols of the heathens. From another part of the globe, St. Xavier was writing from Cochin to the King of Portugal: “To your servants you must declare as plainly as possible … that the only way of escaping your wrath is to make as many Christians as possible in the countries over which you rule.” [See: http://www.voiceofdharma.com/books/ca/app5.htm%5D

Islam had a similar agenda. Aurangzeb just as most muslim invaders had not only the agenda to rule a people, but convert them into Islam. Raising the bogey of a threat to Islam has always been the primary rallying point from Aurangzeb to – unfortunately – Jinnah.

Throughout the War of Succession, Aurangzeb had maintained that he was not interested in acquiring the throne and that his only object was to ward off the threat to Islam, which was inevitable in case Dara Shukoh came to power. Many, including his brother Murad, were deceived by this posture. After his formal accession in Delhi (5th June 1659) he posed as a defender of Islam who would rule according to the directions of the Shariat, and with the advice of the Clerics or Ulama for whom the doctrines, rules, principles and directives, as laid down and interpreted in the 7th and 8th century Arabia, Persia and Iraq, were inviolable and unchangeable in all conditions, in all countries, and for all times to come. [See: http://www.aurangzeb.info/%5D

The “business” of – “my religion is better than yours”

This is the crux of the problem in my view. Instead of focussing on similarities of religions and synthesizing them to achieve spiritual enlightenment, and human well-being, when one starts standing on a pedestal and claims superiority over another’s religion, this then forms the crux of the problem. It creates defense systems even in (a “non-religion” and) an all-inclusive ‘religion’ like Hinduism.

I am not at all surprised at the emerging rise of Hindu nationalism in India, given the historical experience of the Hindus whose faith had been assaulted first by Muslim invaders and subsequently by European colonizers. [See: http://c-alex-alexander.sulekha.com/blog/post/2003/05/proselytization-in-india-an-indian-christian-s-perspective.htm%5D

Claims of religious superiority are often signs of brittleness of philosophy:

He admired the absence of the “spirit of missionary imperialism” in Hinduism and questioned whether or not the “Christian claims to possess infallibility or ultimate truth are not signs of a brittle pettiness that cannot endure”. His writings credited such insights to the dialogue he had with three Hindu scholars at a very old Christian seminary in Kottayam, in India’s Kerala State[11]. [See: http://c-alex-alexander.sulekha.com/blog/post/2003/05/proselytization-in-india-an-indian-christian-s-perspective.htm%5D

just as Gandhi observed as well

In the 1930′s when Christian priests as well as Muslim imams saw the possibilities of converting some 150 million people who were relegated to low caste status by the Hindus, they tried their best to induce the oppressed to come into their fold. The response was not good. Rev. E. Stanley Jones, a United Methodist Minister in India, a close friend of Mahatma Gandhi, asked him what the reason was. Gandhi said: “The day you stop talking about how good your religion is and start living it then everyone will come willingly to join you.” [See: http://onfaith.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/panelists/arun_gandhi/2010/03/the_evil_of_proselytizing.html%5D

There are many ways to God

Talk to sadhus and saints in temples anywhere in India and once you’ve scrubbed the surface – often of anger against Christianity and Islam for proselytizing – they will state with ease, “There are many ways to God”. This is the essence of the non-intrusive Hindu belief system. Here is “a” way to achieve God – is the message – instead of here is “the only” way (and both Christianity and Islam claim this “the way” to themselves).

Jesus expressed the same thing. I still need to understand Muhammad’s views expressed in the Quran on this though.

The priceless affirmation in the Hindu scripture which says “eko sat vipra bahudi vedanti” (one truth, but discerned differently by the wise) is somewhat similar to one of Jesus’ sayings, “in my Father’s house, there are many mansions, if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare one for you”[4b]. Another of Jesus’ sayings which affirms that: “I and my Father are one”[4c] is similar to the Hindu Mahavakya, “Aham Brahmasmi” (I am Brahman). The “born again” attribute necessary for a Christian’s salvation as required by Jesus is no different from the concept of “dwija” or twice-born in Brahman (often misconstrued as Brahmin)[4d] [See: http://c-alex-alexander.sulekha.com/blog/post/2003/05/proselytization-in-india-an-indian-christian-s-perspective.htm%5D

Expanding on the scope of commonality of all religions needs to be taken as a rather huge exercise on its own in a separate post. For the reader a quick sneak peek into the Hindu mind will be this photo essay on Gobind Sadan. Do note that i have used the term ‘Hindu mind’ even as this link is about a Gurudwara of the Sikh religion which practices universal religious values.

“After long study and experience, I have come to the conclusion that [1] all religions are true; [2] all religions have some error in them; [3] all religions are almost as dear to me as my own Hinduism, in as much as all human beings should be as dear to one as one’s own close relatives. My own veneration for other faiths is the same as that for my own faith; therefore no thought of conversion is possible.” (M. K. Gandhi, All Men Are Brothers: Life and Thoughts of Mahatma Gandhi as told in his own words, Paris, UNESCO 1958, p 60.)

Thoughts on “Eschatological Laundry List by Sheldon Kopp”

My creative writing teacher Ms. Anupa Lal asked me to send her my thoughts on this Eschatological Laundry List by Sheldon Kopp, author of ‘If you Meet the Buddha on the Road, Kill Him’. Here’s what i wrote:

It has a very Christian and also somewhat of a Jain philosophical touch to it. I say Christian coz of the “this is it” messages, and Jain because of the “i am alone” message. “This is it”, pushes us to take action now, and not leave things on fate or control to anyone outside to help us out (we Indians look to the stars way too much; including me often). This ‘resolve’ shows in the west’s material progress, and organising things in a manner that makes life comfortable for them. The Jan message of “I am alone” ensures that a seeker is not dependent upon the outside to seek her salvation (perhaps not even the Guru; there does not seem to be a big emphasis on the Guru in Jainism, other than acting as a facilitator; in Hinduism it is way more emphasized and carries huge importance in one’s spiritual journey).

While both of these may be true and certainly deeply profound in their own ways, their is no opportunity in these messages to discover and add any playfulness to ones life. These messages are very straight and have a i-know-it-it-works feel to them. The dichotomy and the unknowing or mystic aspect of Hindu philosophy is completely missing from these lines – Shiva being a medicant and an intense tantric who taught using sexuality to find salvation; Krishna instigating Arjun to fight a war, and yet talking about Yoga int he same breath. The playfulness and perhaps even the purposelessness of life is a message that goes missing in these lines.

Interpreting poems of Eliot, Tagore and Ezekiel

Confiscate my passport, Lord
I don’t wish to go abroad.
Let me find my song
Where I belong.
~ Nissim Ezekiel

Too long I’ve wandered from place to place,
Seen mountains and seas at vast expense.
Why haven’t I stepped two yards from my house,
Opened my eyes, gazed very close
At a drop of dew on a stalk of rice?
~ Rabindranath Tagore (translated from Bengalie by William Radice)

We shall not cease from exploration,
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.
~ T.S.Eliot

We are all in search of happiness outside of the ‘reality’ we exist in. We’re constantly desiring for things and circumstances that we feel would make us happy. Nearly always, we’re postponing our happiness to some future time, when we would have all ‘those’ – things, relationships and circumstances.

All three poets are giving a message of finding happiness in the circumstances we currently have.

T.S. Eliot’s poem, has a profound spiritual connotation. The story of the “Kasturi Mriga” – deer with a fragrance – comes to mind. The deer while roaming the jungles suddenly becomes aware of a beautiful fragrant smell in the air. So profoundly touched was the deer by this fragrance, that it became determined to find the source of it. Notwithstanding the extreme elements, it searched endlessly, the urge ever growing stronger. The search ended rather sadly when the deer lost its foothold and fell off a cliff, and while breathing its last, discovered that the fragrant smell was emanating from its own navel (Source: Meher Baba, Discourses, 6^th ed., 3 vols. [San Francisco: Sufism Reoriented, 1967], 2.193).

Even as the story above ends rather sadly with the deer finding its end during the search, T.S.Eliot’s poem on the other hand talks about a journey coming full-circle. A search ending where it all began. In an understanding that happiness, or the Divine for that matter, is to be found where we are.

Gurudev’s poem invites us to seek happiness in small things. He asks, “Why haven’t I stepped two yards from my house/ Openend my eyes, gazed very close/ At a drop of dew on a stalk of rice?”.  Instead of wandering “from place to place”, beauty and happiness can be found around us in the mundane things of day-to-day life, which we often fail to “see with fresh eyes”. We need not search outside or elsehwere.

Yet, perhaps there is a deep connection between the intense search outside – which may manifest as travel and exploration – and coming full circle to find the fragrance in ‘our own belly’. This is the paradox we must all live with. Even as the searching outside is unneccessary, since the object of our search, the beauty and happiness we seek, lies within at the source of who we are, and in the present moment, circumstances and environment – the importance of searching outside perhaps remains. It is only with this ‘wandering’ to find happiness and peace, that we must come a full circle to find it where the journey began. This is the reason that Eliot says, “We shall not cease from exploration”.

<Written as an assignment for the “Creative Writing” course, I am taking at Mirambika Research Center, Sri Aurobindo Ashram, New Delhi>

What is Health?

“If there is reduction in illness but at the same time it is an offset by an increasing crime rate, we haven’t done anything to improve the health of society”; Uncommon Wisdom by Fritjof Capra
–

Last several months, after the birth of our baby I have been struggling to convince my wife on the use of Bach Flower Remedies.

I came across Bach Flower Remedies first through my uncle, several years back, who practices the same in USA. I bought a book to study the same, but never did, till recently when my new born baby was sufferring from Colic pains, in his 3rd or 4th month.

I tried Rescue Remedy on him, after having tried Colic Aid, and Bonnisan, and the results were dramatic – in my view (not my wife’s though). He passed trapped wind after every few seconds, by the second dose, till he was comfortable and slept well.

These remedies are said to be a form of Spiritual Medicine, which works on the emotions of the patient, curing him before disease sets in. Here is what Dr. Edward Bach,who discovered these remedies said, “Disease is a reaction to interferences. This is temporary failure and unhappiness and occurs when we allow others to interfere with our purpose in life and implant in our minds doubt, or fear or indifference.”

My wife continues to insist on not using this form of medicine, insisting that I should allow the child to develop and find his way around with the emotions he develops instead of interfering with them.

This is a difficult one to beat. However, my arguments are based around my study of Dr. Fritjof Capra’s book titles Uncommon Wisdom, which has detailed discussions between leading Psychiatrists and Cancer Therapists, who debate upon the topic of “what is health?”, and “whether our modern system of allopathic medicine has created health or no”. (There is another book which talks in much more detail called “The Web of Life”; I’m yet to grab a copy). The argument is that by the allopathic forms of medicine, we may be removing physical illness but causing emotional imbalance in the baby (or for that matter any adult as well).

We affect an individual by what he/she eats, and I’m sure we do not have enough research available on the negative affects of powered milk as opposed to using mother’s milk only for the first 6 months. Even if there is research, our modern lifestyle, does not permit such attention to a new born.

Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), Hynotherapy, Psychotherapy are all practices to impact the emotions of a person.

Our behaviour with a child (or any adult), the living environment, the food we eat, the energy, thoughts and attitude of the parents and other people around, the cleanliness of the air we breathe around us, all of these are known to affect our state of mind. And need I re-iterate that the mind affects our body?

Dr. Bach goes a step further to suggest that when we are interfering with our purpose in life, it creates an emotional imbalance, being caused as a result of an imbalance between the soul and the body.

If we are affecting the emotional being of a person by all this including the medicine we may be using, why can we not use a remedy made in the homoeopathic way, from natural wild-growing flowers.

This is my approach.

Meanwhile, I will continue to work on convincing my wife and using the remedies now and then in an emergency on my baby! Ofcourse, I’ve been using it on myself for some time now.

Whole existence coming to your support

The inner growth is very still and very silent. You are growing, and even you cannot be aware of it unless something totally new happens and makes you aware that you have reached some space that was unknown to you. And that can happen any moment. On your part great patience is needed, and a trust that the whole existence is in support of all those who are trying to grow spiritually. It is not you who are trying to grow spiritually; it is existence who, through you, is trying to reach to its utmost heights.

- OSHO

The ‘Allah’ factor

I wrote this to a person who I came in touch on Ryze.

————————-
Dear Dr. Alam,

It seems you wanted to connect with me. My apologies on not being able to call you up, inspite of my intention to do so. Work has been quite pressing last few weeks.

Just got a chance to get online to read your posts in the god-talk network, which I have posted at the end of this message for your reference.

Having read the same, I am sorry to say it is very dissappointing that this comes from a PhD holder. I’ve wanted to sit and meet you and try and question your thinking and beliefs for quite sometime now. Unfortunately, I’ve not been able to get this discussion on my list of priorities. Anyway, for now, I am going to take you head on.

Firstly, the use of the word Allah, as a preference of over using God, itself has deep root in your thinking, which I believe is the root cause of Islamic fundamentalism. During my visits to several countries I’ve (and so have my relatives observed this) noticed car bumber stickers and wall hangings saying “There is no God but Allah”. This reference to God in one particular language (Arabic) and refusing existence of the same spiritual force, in any other language, is an example of extreme fundamentalism. I am afraid, inspite of using His references as ‘Allah/God’ your references of God as Allah in an earlier post, and in this as well, shout out of the same fundamentalism.

Secondly, does Allah command? This judgmental God/Allah is someone who does not appeal to me at all. There are many more beautiful definitions or experiences of God which have been talked about in books and by different spiritual messengers who have been born and continue to be born.

This brings me to another point. In your belief, all messengers stopped after Muhhammad. This is a very sad state of thinking. The topic of the discussion where you posted this message was “Pagan Christ”, a book written by someone, and having read a review by another person, I observed the key message being that “any human being could become the Christ; christdom existed as a latent energy in all humanity, and the church worked to suppress this truth about christ’s message”.

This is completely consitent with all Indian faiths. Kabir and Sai Baba, both inspite of being muslims, are reverred as God himself in our country by Hindus and Muslims (although there are more Hindus who have adopted Sai Baba than Muslims; Muslims have infact ignored him and his message). I had a discussion with a muslim girl colleague of mine, who differentiated between Muhammad and say Sai Baba (or Guru Nanak, Satya Sai Baba, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Eckhardt Tolle, others) as being ‘the chosen one’ and ‘Pir’. This is the problem with Islam. You reject anyway that this massive humanity can raise itself to Godhood, and the last human being who did so, was Muhammad himself.

Going by such fundamentalism, and while I have not read the Quran, it seems it even says if you are not a muslim, then you cannot go to heaven.

Did Gandhi go to heaven?

Also, where is this heaven?

Thirdly, you mention “…only submission to the communications of the commands of Allah is the most virtuous…”. I have a different version of ’submission’. You version maybe of subservience; my version is called ’surrender’. To understand ’surrender’, you’ll have to dwell in a lot of Vedantic reading. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s, ‘Celebrating Silence’ is a good place to start.

I would highly recommend that to open your mind a bit, you read a non-Indian, non-Hindu writer – Neale Donald Walsch – and his triology – “Conversations with God – I, II, III”. If you read it with a questioning mind, rather than a “subservient” mind, you will rise to a new level of spiritual consciousness. This is the best service to Allah/God that you could offer.

No one made Adam; no ones a sinner; we’re just here to experience – this endless cycle creation and destruction; the Big Bang and the eventual collapse of the universe will go on cyclical in this eternal game; You are here to experience yourself as Krishna. Krishna was again a human form, who was self-realised about his divinity. Then there are others like us who have a chance to do so in this human form – raise our consciousness to that of Muhammad, or Jesus, or Guru Nanak, or Buddha, or Al-Hallaj, or Rumi, or Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, or Eckhardt Tolle, or Andrew Cohen, or Ramana Maharishi, or Bahaullah, or Sai Baba, or Kabir, or Neale Donald Walsch, or Dr. Jaya Row, the list is endless.

Someone said “there are more spiritually self-realised people in India than probably the whole world put together”. You’ve been born here for a reason. Be a seeker. For that you need to question all your beliefs and your premises. Even from the mere purpose of leading a healthy mental and emotional life, I think it is good to question, and discover Truth yourself. If you die not discovering it, my belief says you will get another chance, and another birth (also this is not merely belief now; there is a stream of medicine in Hynotherapy becoming extremely popular, and within it is a sub-stream of past-life regression; it maybe a good idea to read some material on that; there is a book called “road Less Travelled”, by a leading psychiatrist of USA, and he mentions a premise in human evolution has to be the cycle of re-birth).

You have written “…n my quest for enlightenment…”. Well, if you have the right spirit, experience enlightenment, not by subservience, but by questioning, finding, exploring. In India, ou have an opportunity to do so, like no other country.

God (or the Universal Force) instilled this quality to ‘question and think’ in us. Subservience is the worst form of disrespect to the Almighty.

Regards,
Rahul

——
Dear Jack and Debra,

The main premise in all sects of Christianity is that Jesus is the Son of God

This is what is wrong as per the communications in Qur’an.As a Muslim/obedient one to the commands of Allah/God,Jesus Peace be on him was a messenger of Allah.This has been pointed out in the commands of Allah to Muhammad.Those who consider Jesus as son of Allah, are falling in a polytheistic trap and pious Christians never understood him as a son but a messenger.

and was sent down to teach of God’s love, His Plan, and His Ways, and to save us from our sin through his Crucifiction.

This is a false idea that he died for our sins.He was sinned by many in his times and those who sinned are accountabel to their sins. Allah will grant mercy to those He will.The birth of Jesus was like to the birth of Adam,who was created from clay.

Please read Qur’an and we will learn more as only submission to the communications of the commands of Allah is the most virtuous.

I have stated in previous posts that a great reference for many is Kenneth C. Davis’s “Don’t Know Much About the Bible”. It goes into great detail regarding each section of the Bible and clarifies many of the questions we Christians have about it’s passages and their meanings. Some other great books that have helped me in my quest for enlightenment are:

Dear Jack and Debra,

I would like to also suggest reading from Maurice Bucaulle book on Quran,Bible and Science.

Please forgive me for being upfront.

I would have liked to write in more detail.
Seeking guidance for all and praying for the repvilege to all for seeking guidance from Allah.

Twist to the Jesus story

http://www.thiaoouba.com/tomb.htm.

An excerpt:

“…It is implied that Jesus acquired all his knowledge from scholars in Japan, went to Judea to teach and then escaped crucifixion. Someone else died on the cross. There was no resurrection. This “legend” cannot be true, because “Japanese Jesus” DID NOT preach and did not perform ANY miracles when he came to Japan after allegedly escaping crucifixion. How could Christ forget everything He knew?According to “Thiaoouba Prophecy”, Jesus (Joshua) born to virgin Mary in Bethlehem, after an “angel” from Thiaoouba (tYehova) implanted the embryo, escaped the slaughter of 2606 babies and arrived in Egypt. After surprising all scholars at the age of 12, he left his parents at 14 to travel with his 12 years old brother Ouriki to Burma, India and China. Eventually he arrived in Japan at the age of 50. He got married there, and had 3 daughters. Finally he died in Herai where he had lived for 45 years, gaining respect and love of everyone. Christ who appeared at Judea and died on the cross was another, very special man….”