Business to the Buddha

Search results for: “lingayat”

  • Is religion another organized crime?

    Disclaimer – The below are observations, and the author feels that largely the problem is with the way religion and religious practices are followed or has become a fanatic theory.

    If ever you can win (or say find or please) God by following certain prescription of a book world would have been a different place – may be an utopia. Because hopefully the instructions would be as straightforward. Here the assumption is – algorithm would be as simple as what we used to write for making a cup of tea in our school’s programming class (about 20 years back).

    When I thought about the above, I had attack of Nairobi and Peshawar in my mind. In Nairobi people were ask what religion you follow rather than considering everyone as human. In Peshawar the attack happened in a Church (a place for prayers). One can not support terrorist attack in the name of religion; at least the few happening over last couple of years.

    Churches remind me of India where people are offered money to convert. No doubt, the churches have given opportunity to the underprivileged to go to school, have good healthcare service and some respect.

    If ever you can win (or say find or please) God by money, Forbes has recently released a list of 400 most richest people on earth. They could have find the God. Better is Govts can any day print more money to make everyone rich enough to find God.

    If ever you can win (or say find or please) God by your birth in a certain family there wont be a chance of others achieving the feat – enlightenment. As Indian political and – to fair extent – social structure developed.

    If ever you can win (or say find or please) God or be worthiest person to teach by selection process such as the way the Pope is selected democratically, politicians might have been the most successful people in the business of the God. Well, now a days religion has become more of a business and politics rather than a way to find God. And at best – a person can be democratically elected to represent people and not God.

    When I think of the other options, I feel spirituality or finding/pleasing/winning God cannot be either a democracy or privilege by birth or working in groups. Spirituality is more of an individual’s pursuit. Self-realization can largely be either hard work of individual or grace, I can not agree that killing, buying, voting or birth in certain family gives a person to be self realized. Is organized religion becoming like an organized crime? What are the other options?

    May be humanity, compassion and being at peace with yourself – because social harmony would start with individual’s peace of mind.

  • Cast(e)ing doubts – everyone’s tears are salty

    I am not an admirer of the caste system of Indian society. The special love affair for that (aversion) goes to the Lingayats (disclaimer – I am a born Lingayat). I am going to write a series (on and off) of blogs on – against – the caste system of India (include black skin for other parts of the world). Here is the first such blog. This story is from Chapter 43 of the book Old path white clouds by a Vietnamese monk Thich Nhat Hanh. The book is on the life of the Buddha.

    In brief – The Buddha accepted an untouchable named Sunita, to his Sangha (in India 2500 years ago). It created a lot of uproar in Kingdom of King Pasenadi (Kosala) who was a devoted follower of the Buddha.

    Everyone’s tears are salty
    When The Buddha and his bhikkus were passing by the river Ganga they saw an untouchable person – Sunita (a person carrying nightsoil). when the Buddha started walking towards him, he ran farther away from the Buddha. When Sunita could do no more, he kept the nightsoil buckets on one side and hid in the river.

    Sunita “Lord, I do not dare come closer. I am an untouchable.”
    Lord, I do not dare come closer, I am an untouchable

    The Buddha walked right up to the water’s edge and said, “My friend, please come closer so we may talk.”
    Sunita, joined his plams, protested, “Lord, I don’t dare!”
    The Buddha asked – “Why not?”
    Sunita replied – “I am an untouchable. I don’t want to pollute you and your monks.”
    The Buddha said – “On our path, we no longer distinguish between castes. You are a human being like the rest of us. We are not afraid we will be polluted. Only greed, hatred, and delusion can pollute us. A person as pleasant as yourself brings us nothing but happiness. What is your name?”
    Sunita said – “Lord, my name is Sunita.”
    The Buddha asked – “Sunita, would you like to become a bhikkhu like the rest of us?”
    Sunita said – “I couldn’t!”
    The Buddha – “Why not?”
    Sunita – “I’m an untouchable!”
    The buddha – “Sunita, I have already explained that on our path there is no caste. In the Way of Awakening, caste no longer exists. It is like the Ganga, Yamuno, Aciravati, Sarabhu, Mahi, and Rohini rivers. Once they empty into the sea, they no longer retain their separate identities. A person who leaves home to follow the Way leaves caste behind whether he was born a brahman, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra, or untouchable. Sunita, if you like, you can become a bhikkhu like the rest of us.”

    King Pasenadi was asked by his ministers to protest and reason for this act of the Buddha. The King visited the monastery, while walking in the monastery he saw a few monks sitting under a tree and one monk sharing the teachings of the Buddha. The King was impressed with the monk who was teaching. The monks face radiated great peace and wisdom. This sight was such that King stopped for a while to listen to the monk.

    The King was so impressed with the monk that first question he asked was who was the monk teaching under the tree? The Buddha replied – “Sunita, he was once an untouchable”. King was embarrassed, the Buddha continued – “In the Way of Liberation, there is no caste. To the eyes of an enlightened person, all people are equal. Every person’s blood is red. Every person’s tears are salty. We are all human beings. We must find a way for all people to be able to realize their full dignity and potential. That is why I welcomed Sunita into the sangha of bhikkhus.”

    —

    Even after 2500 years, we still have widespread caste system. At that time there was only Hinduism now you have many religion in the world! Every religion has many sub-sub categories. You have color of skin to differentiate, what more you need?

    Related blogs –

    We the societies

    When Buddha dies schools are born

    Reference in the index of the book – Fo Pen Hing Tsi King (T. 190); Fang Kouang Ta Tchouang Yen King (T. 187); Lalitavistara.

    Image source Old path white clouds

  • Give up Dominion

    Just imagine, there are only humans on the planet earth! I think that was what happened to the Dinosaurs. Perhaps they started killing other dinosaurs just to capture more land – territory – for their survival. They tried to prove their superiority and eventually got over powered by the universe with some meteoroid. Whatever the reality of dinosaurs was, try to see if there seems to be an analogy.

    We humans are almost doing what dinosaurs did. They were the kings of the planet, they tried to capture as much land from other species as well as their own species e.g. other dinosaurs. We are one step ahead – we are eating in the mind-share also.

    Wikipedia definition of mind-share – When people think of examples of a product type or category, they usually think of a limited number of brands. The aim of mind share is to establish a brand as being one of the best kinds of a given product or service, and to even have the brand name become a synonym for the product or service offered. For example – in India Colgate is Toothpaste, Maggi is instant noodle more recent across the world, searching something on net is – Google it!

    The mind-share in larger terms happens to be in many forms – Forbes creates a list of most rich, powerful, etc etc list. Recently, Economic Times published a list of 100 most power CEOs (business people) of India. Product or service as example given above, religion creates another different type of mind-share. But effectively, the problem with this kind of mind-share is – a complex of superiority. My brand is better, my religion is better, my company is better and I am most powerful etc.

    Here is another short video from the movie Instinct staring Anthony Hopkins and Cuba Gooding Jr. This is in continuation of the previous blog – We the takers!

    [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGriwjHA8bM]

    Here, Dr Powell ( character of Hopkins) says something interesting (source – script) –

    …We have only one thing to give up – our dominion. We don’t own the world. We’re not kings here, not gods. Can we give that up?

    Too precious!

    all that control? Too tempting, being a god?

    Dominion - source- http://eremozoic.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/ego-eco.jpg

    Actually, at times I feel that physical ownership can be given and taken easily. You own land and sell it to someone else, now the owner is changed. Tougher is mental ownership. I am a born Hindu, for me Hinduism becomes most sacred religion because I was taught this. Think of a Muslim or Christan child he was taught the same. We fight more wars based on our religious belief rather than anything else. Though I am a born Hindu (actually a Lingayat who do not consider themselves as Hindus as such) but I think the method of giving up this dominion is Yoga, Meditation, Prayers (any religious prayer without superiority complex) or Service (check Sikhism & the Art of Living).

    Why I put Yoga first because Patanjali has said first few very important steps to get rid of this mind problem. Why I specifically put Sikhism and Art of Living because I have seen Sikhs that way (go to a Gurudwara – the richest would be serving) and I have been involved with few service projects of Art of Living.

    Thank you Vijay you made me watch Instinct.

    Related blogs –

    Illusion of control, Ego, Forbidden word, Evolution

    When will we stop?, What more we need?, Cogito ergo sum

    Dichotomy of happiness, Cause, What difference will it make?

    Image source – http://eremozoic.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/ego-eco.jpg

  • We – “the Societies…”

    I read a book on the Buddha – Old Path White Clouds. Really, the path is very old. We are still struggling after many centuries. The book starts with a young Bhikku – Svasti a buffalo tending boy. The Buddha had tried hard to bridge the gap pervading in society at that time. During the time of Mahabharat (even before the Buddha) Karna had to face it (as son of a charioteer, check Wiki). I am talking about the societies we have formed. We are divided by race, religion, nationality, region, caste and sub-castes. Therefore we are not a society we are ‘societies’.

    I read two news items and thought to write about them. Though personally I feel religious belief is a personal matter and therefore no ‘group’ should interfere with beliefs of individuals. However, we have made religious belief system an organization which now has become a business as well as tool to discriminate. Anyways, the first news item was – First whiff of justice for Gujarat riot victims and the second was – Dalits enter Madurai temple after two long decades. In northern part of India people feel that southern states are far less discriminating, is that true? This news item shows different picture.

    At the time of the Buddha there was only four divisions of Indian society (as only Hinduism existed). Now we have many religion, languages, states, castes and sub-castes. The task of bridging gaps has become difficult in our times. Take an example of one belief system of India. The concept of this system was ‘a casteless society’, within 1000 years of its existence there are about 16 different sub-caste in this single belief system! The number is alarming because old Hindu system has only 4 castes (of course 4 are then sub divided) and this example less than 1000 year old has 4 time more sub divisions. I have heard Islam has 70+ sects, Buddhism has at least 3, Christianity has a few. Phew! how long will we divide as well as fight the so called holy wars?

    If we see at a macro level – we are divided in nation we live in, language we speak, color of skin, economic status for that matter brand of car we use. I am sure no spiritual master had meant to use his/her teachings as a tool to discriminate. We are humans and is not that enough to thrive, survive and grow physically, mentally and spiritually? ‘The path’ is really very old, we are still not able to understand it. We are ‘societies’ and we do discriminate, why?

    Related blog – Business of religion!

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