BUDDHIST COUNTRIES HAVE BUILT STRONG SOCIAL FABRIC BUT NOT STRONG DHARMIC INDIVIDUALS

V.S.Gopalakrishnan

Amongst the Buddhist countries practising either the Theravada (formerly called Hinayana, the old tradition) or the Mahayana (the modified tradition), I have visited Japan, China, South Korea, Thailand, Singapore, Myanmar (known earlier as Burma) and Cambodia. I have not yet travelled to Sri Lanka, Laos and Viet Nam which are also Buddhist. Two years ago, I wrote here a series of 4 blogs historically tracing the spread of Buddhism from India to Afghanistan, Central Asia, China, Korea, Japan, Indonesia, Cambodia etc.

Though Buddhism has very steeply declined in India, the countries that have adopted it are steadfast in the preservation of Buddhist culture. I believe that Islam or Christianity cannot pose any danger to them. I shall soon post a blog on the reasons for the decline of Buddhism in India.

The old Theravada (Hinayana) tradition encouraged the sanctifying of only Buddha's relics such as teeth, ash, bones etc. No statues were to be built for him. But the modified Mahayana tradition almost gave god-hood to Buddha and his statues began to proliferate everywhere rather ironically. Buddha in fact did not believe in God or statue-worship. Some clever Hindus have added Buddha within the Dasaavathaar!

Going by the experience of Hinduism, statues or idols play an important role in helping the mind to captivate the sense and essence of God and its attributes. That way, I would believe that the millions of statues of Buddha all over the Buddhist countries have been a significant factor in cementing the Buddhist societies. Even in the Theravadin countries such as Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand, the statues abound apart from the relics. The Buddhist temples, stupas, viharas, chaityas, monasteries etc. have contributed to the strong social stablisation of the practitioners of Buddhism, both the clergy and the laymen. The making of Buddha's statues (sitting, standing or reclining) has spawned great and amazing levels of artistry amongst these people.

Most of us are aware of the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path preached by Buddha. Let us quickly recapitulate them.

THE FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS:

• Life consists of suffering (Dukkha)
• The origin of suffering is attachment.
• The cessation of suffering is possible.
• The path to the cessation of suffering. 

THE EIGHTFOLD PATH:
1. Right understanding
2. Right thinking 
3. Right speech
4. Right action
5. Right livelihood 
6. Right effort
7. Right mindfulness
8. Right collectedness/concentration.
--------------------

The 4 Noble Truths explain the cause of human suffering in terms of metaphysical analysis. The Eightfold Path explains the path to overcoming the suffering and to attainment of calm, peace, wisdom and liberation (Nirvana) in terms of postulates for thinking and action. The Eightfold Path is also called the Middle Path or Middle Way, avoiding the extremes of self-mortification or self-indulgence.

What is not well-publicised and not well known to the public including even Buddhists are the precise ethical commandments or precepts advocated by the Buddha for individual behaviour which are called Pancha Shila or Five Precepts. It lays down Five Ethical Commandments as follows:

1. "Do not kill." (Unintentional killing is considered less offensive)
2. "Do not steal." (Including misappropriating someone's property)
3. "Do not engage in improper sexual conduct." (e.g. sexual contact not sanctioned by secular laws, the Buddhist monastic code, or by one's parents and guardians)
4. "Do not tell lies or make false statements." (Also includes pretending to know something one doesn't)
5. "Do not drink alcohol."

Do the Buddhists, as individuals follow the Five Precepts? No way. That is the failure of Buddhism. No one talks about this or writes about this strangely! Everyone talks about the theoretical Noble Truths and Middle Way!

The first precept says "do not kill". Yet, the Buddhists are non-vegetarians, fierce fighters, bloody warriors, cool killers and are given to terrific violence! Buddha himself died from consuming stale pork. The Chinese eat even cats, dogs and monkeys. Here the Jains come out in a better light! The other four precepts too (excepting stealing) are usually observed by the Buddhists in their breach. If only all the five precepts had been properly followed, the Buddhists would have been on a much higher plane than the members of other religions. That is why I have said in the title that Buddhism has provided a strong social fabric but not strong dharmic individuals.

It is somewhat strange that Buddha has not vehemently preached love, charity, generosity, sharing etc which other religions have usually done. It is also strange to me that he did not realise an Ultimate Reality, a Paramatman, the One Truth, the Almighty , the Creator or whatever you call it.
================================

RAAT ANDHERI DOOR SAVERA~~~~~~

Original singer: Mukeshji. Here is my version/rendition.
Movie: AAH (1953)
What a lovely old classic this is, evoking the mood, atmosphere, ambience and desolation of the night reflecting the anguish of the singer on the screen, Raj Kapoor! I grew with this song in my early teens. Lovely music by Shankar-Jaikisan. Lyrics were by Hasrat Jaipuri.




LYRICS

raat andheri door saveraa
barbaad hai dil meraa o... ) -2

( aanaa bhi chaahein aa na sake ham
koi nahin aasaraa ) -2
khoyee hai manzil rastaa hai mushkil
chaand bhi aaj chhupaa, ho...
raat andheri door saveraa
barbaad hai dil meraa o...

( aah bhi roye raah bhi roye
soojhe na baat koi ) -2
thodi umar hai soonaa safar hai
begaana saath koi, ho...
raat andheri door saveraa
barbaad hai dil meraa o... -2
barbaad hai dil meraa

SINGLE WINDOW FOR MARRIAGES

SINGLE WINDOW FOR MARRIAGES
(fiction, humour)
V.S.Gopalakrishnan
My son Vishwas studying in the USA and specialising in the bio-metrological properties of xerotic skin, came out with an unusual discovery. He conveyed it to me and that caused in me considerable discomfiture. The discovery, not related to the said bio-metrological properties, was simply a girl whom he wanted to marry. I thought that Nebraska produced endless tornados but it had produced this girl also. She had produced the twister effect on Vishwas' mind that lost its balance and went up in the air.

He asked for my permission to marry her. My wife Poornima's permission was not required as it was taken for granted. Which son listens to a father during this Kali Yuga? I told him to go ahead and marry her on one proviso. She should not be a lawyer since lawyers keep arguing, fight and tell lies and misguide those under their jurisdiction. Vishwas clarified that his gori sweetheart Lucille was a Literature student and that only her parents were lawyers. I told Vishwas not to go near the said lawyers as they misguide the clients. Lucille should herself seek her parents' nod for the marriage without his putting any appearance.

Times have changed and gori daughters-in-law are becoming the norm. Vishwas said that Lucille wanted three marriages. "Is she not marrying just one person, you?" I queried.
The trouble was that Lucille had an ex-boyfriend Andrew who married finally a Tamilian girl called Pushpavalli studying in the USA. They had three riotous marriages. One was in the Church (Pentecostal or Seventh Day Adventist or Mormon or Catholic or whatever, I don't remember now). The second wedding was as per Vedic rites (and wrongs). The third wedding was at the Office of the Registrar of Births, Deaths, Marriages, Murders and Suicides. A whole pot of gold was spent in the three marriage riots. And I don't know who footed the bills.

Lucille now wanted to copy Andrew and have three weddings with my son. And since this was the first desire coming from Lucille- God knows how many million desires of hers poor Vishwas would have to fulfil - Vishwas was in an utter mood to surrender to Lucille's three-wedding demand.

I thought that three weddings were a nonsense unless he was marrying three girls. Times were fast changing since live-ins were going out of fashion getting bombed by the new fashion of three weddings.

Having worked in Maharashtra Government which promises single window clearances, not for marriage but for industrial and other approvals, I thought of telling the Chief Minister to establish a Single Window set up for three weddings also (which would save our expenditure considerably). Which would mean that the vedic priests and the Registrar would temporarily shift to the inside of a Church for the triple wedding. But the CM  who said that the idea was brilliant, wanted a few years' time for implementing this in order to coincide it with the next election as this will get more timely votes. However, Lucille and Vishwas were not eager to wait till elections.

In such complicated matters, I take the advice of my grandmother who is 95. She said she would directly talk to Lucille in this matter and that Vishwas would be the interpreter. So the tete-a -tete between Lucille and my grand mom got arranged. And what a marvellous surprise it was that Lucille came out from the meeting happily convinced that only the Vedic marriage will do!
-----------

I soon went to see my grand mother and asked her as to how she did the magic. She reported to me the following conversation:

Grandmother : " Look Lucille, do you want your husband to stray after marrying you?"
Lucille: "No, no! Is there any trick about it?"
Grandmother: "Since he will marry you again Vedically at the age of 60, and it is called Shashtiabdapoorthi, he will not stray in between!"
Lucille: "Wow! A second marriage at 60! Sounds perfect! And can he stray after 60?"
Grandmother: " There is a third marriage with you when he will reach 80! That is called Sathaabhishekam! That is to mark living through a 1000 full moons! So he cannot stray till 80!"
Lucille: "Wow, this is simply fantastic and unbelieveable! I get three marriages this way! And it does not matter if he is not faithful to me after 80!"
============================================
(fiction, humour)