Life- thro’ my lens
Som N Bhandari
Texas, USA
Born to illiterate farmers in a traditional Bhutanese village without any access to the outside world and without any communication technology devices, I naturally had deep faith in gods and divine creation until my early 20s. Until then, I had heard and read a little about atheism but the atheistic beliefs had no any impact on me as I had the courage to ignore them altogether. Through my personal observation, experience, and understanding about the adverse impacts of accepting and tolerating the superstitious traditions and orthodox religious doctrines, I can say that we must scientifically review the beliefs in rebirths, incarnations, deeds (karma) and fates wherever applicable. We should also know that some people suffer not because of deeds and fates but because of hereditary problems, poor nutrition, and other growth factors.
Ever since I started analytical study of the origins of living organisms and the formation of the universe, I underwent some radical personal changes, though still in confusions because of some explorable yet mysterious facts. Till date, I am inquiring to find out the possible realities as how the life began. But since drawing conclusions requires in-depth studies, observations and research activities, it is a challenging and daunting task for a young adult like me.
The political movement which began in 1997 followed by revolutionary ideologies in Nepal, escalated in 2003 and that forced me to think outside the box. So, I was bound to prepare for the unsought and undesired changes to come. At that time, I felt that the changes were mostly against Nepali Hindus’ expectations. It was really hard for me to accept and bear odd situations contrary to prevailing faiths and attitudes in and surrounding Nepal. For few months, I wandered trying to find out why the revolutions or changes turned be so tough abruptly. I discussed about the contemporary situation with my friends, and from them I knew the truth behind revolutionary movements and the fact how Hindus and Buddhists doctrines have saved the misdeeds of privileged classes from getting known and identified in public by the suffered and deprived masses especially in poor and underdeveloped monarchical countries like Nepal and Bhutan. Recently, Nepal started numerous attempts to check such practices. However, as we know, the changes are not always favorable and hence the situation in Nepal has become pitiful these days despite Nepalese commitment to work for the better. I found that most of my friends showed a little familiarity to the undergoing changes while many others perceived newness and unsought. I began to explore the relevant books, news articles and magazines to quest my thirst for more knowledge on the truth or existence of god and the reasons behind the ongoing revolution. Each books helped me a little with some insight knowledge. Moreover, reading such books introduced me not only about the orthodox religious views and practices but also familiarize me about the changing life-styles, attitudes and religious beliefs in developed and developing countries. Above all, reading books also helped me to understand a little about the psychic human mind and nature. Then, I began to curiosity on wide-ranging issues including some inner potentialities that could be stored within me, if any. Over the years, my analytical thinking broadened and I chose to incline myself a little more to aesthetic beliefs. But if anyone asks me whether there existed or exist(s) god(s) or not, I will find myself in bewilderment unable to answer the questions. However, my aesthetic reasons are more scientific and convincing than the contrary views. To pacify my curiosity, I would say probably the god existed and created various forms of life skillfully with every element and designs so that the life would continue on its own thereby maintaining the balance in the ecosystem even in his absence. However, several questions are likely to pop up like – How did the god appear to create and design life? Does he still exist? Where is he now or where has he gone? If yes, what is/ are the clue/ clues? It will be almost difficult to answer these types of questions satisfactorily because each answer and question is connected to one another and are never likely to end. On the other hand, though scientific, Darwinism concept of evolution or origin of different forms of life is also contradictory on many grounds. It reasonably explains the beginning and development of various forms life from a very primitive form called “Euglena” but it has not at least stated who created that organism. Also it has not mentioned about the creation of universe though it tells how and when did the life originated. His several theories like, “Survival of the Fittest”, “Law of Natural Selection”, “Origin of Species”, Lamarck’s “Law of Applied Characters”, Mendel’s “Law of Inheritance of Characters”, Malthus’ “Population Theories” are all applicable to the continuation of life to modern days. As Darwin mentioned, we see and feel there is always intense competition for adjustment and survival. Our human civilization has witnessed many wars in which the powerful and privileged side has always killed, suppressed, won and ruled the weak, poor and suffered people to meet their demands. We have heard that dinosaur disappeared long ago because it could not adapt well to the changing environment while giraffe survived because it strove and adapt to feed itself differently with the application of different body part or skill. We also find reasonableness and application of hereditary characters in subsequent generations. That is why a too short or a tall child can be comparable to his uncle, grand-parents, or his immediate relatives in terms of some hereditary characters. Likewise, according to Darwin and Malthus, some organisms have high fertility powers. As a result, some organisms excessively produce their young-ones and they tend to multiply in a geometric ratio. They asserted that same is applicable to human beings. So, they pointed that if human population tends to multiply in the same ratio, there may occur population explosion making it difficult to fulfill the growing demands of the huge population in the near future. Their theories helped the world to take preventive measures to solve the problems of unemployment, hunger and starvation to a greater extent. These and several other scientific inventions, discoveries, research studies, innovations and investigations, the scientific and technological developmental patterns have all provided enough evidence to support the scientific concept of origin of life. If so, then why is the need to spend time over this type of trivial matter after all? Does this have any significant influence? May be it is regardless for many people but I think it can be a matter of great concerns to some people since the very thought might occupy their mind for the time being.
While I was weighing spiritual and scientific reasonableness, I heard and knew many incidences that created an everlasting effect on me. Most of the strange incidents occurred around Western and Central part of Nepal and in India. The so-called disciple or incarnation of certain powers appeared suddenly and settled himself illegally in a paddy field owned by some farmers. His presence rumored far and wide in a short span of time due to his tactical healing success. Some incurable and deadly illnesses, which the specialized doctors could not treat, were easily treated by him. Many people were surprised to learn all these miracles. So they rushed to meet and know him and to get treated for their own or family’s illnesses and complications. But before meeting him, they were required to be positive and trustful or else the consequences were assured to be rather complicated and horrible. In return for treatment, many people offered him some money and things to eat- mostly fruits. Overnight, he was able to collect a huge sum of money and earn fame. To manage and control the large number of patients and visitors, he spent part of that money to open hotels, extend his land and possessions, construct buildings and houses, build roads and made the place easily accessible to local, national and foreign people. To help him, he had two other volunteers. He cast such a spellbinding magic to the ordinary people that they readily believed him to be an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Since a lot of illnesses and complications were treated and cured by him, a large number of people who suffered hereditary problems also poured there hoping to get treated. However, those who had profound hereditary complications got no treatment. This and other facts made the people, especially the youths suspicious. They asked the volunteers if they could talk with the Guru about the treatment possibility of hereditary complications but the volunteers would reply that it would be against the divine laws to treat such kinds of problems. When the youths further interrogated, they were told that gods decided those problems as kind of punishments to people for their sins and misdeeds in their previous births. So, many people returned desperate and empty-handed. But the youths did not find it rational to accept that some problems were designed by the god. They were perplexed with the idea that god designed some problems. They began to confront the Guru and his volunteers with many critical questions from different angles. The Guru tried his best to defend himself. The scene got heated with arguments. The common people, who sensed the Guru was insulted unnecessarily by the youths, tried their best to suppress the youths. The quarrel intensified and police arrived to arrest the innocent youths. But the youths were determined to prove that the Guru and his volunteers were the witches. Despite the threat from the police, people and the witches, the youths did not give up until the truth was revealed. Eventually, the court had to decide fairness and justice to youths’ demands. When everyone knew the Guru was actually a witch, he had already escaped and it was too late for the witch to be punished. After that incidence, the common people felt more suspicious about incarnation, reincarnation, rebirths, fates and deeds (karma) than ever before. Before I heard the truth about that witchcraft, I had already set my mind to go through selfless devotions, prayers, penance and meditation in the way the Guru did. Luckily, the truth saved me from getting inclined too much. Gradually, I knew how most of the witch and corrupt people gain unnecessary advantage of the innocent, devoted and religious common people that would enable them to earn fame, power and money.
Another peculiar event took place in Central Nepal. A young adult from a Buddhist family got ready to undergo indefinite period of meditation until he would get enlightened as a new Buddha. He suffered for ten months without food, water and anything to eat. The news spread like a wild mushroom and many people were drawn closer to see him on the spot. His degrading health suggested that he actually suffered without anything to eat. But DNA investigation found that he could not have remained in meditation for so long without anything to eat because the DNA composition of a hungry person would be different from that of the fed person. Later, his disappearance horrified most of the people, particularly his families, relatives and expectant well-wishers. Many people guess that he must have died with logical reasoning. Sure, it was a shocking experience to know that the adult who suffered so long disappeared/ died early without any achievement. The god actually did not come to rescue him in such difficult time when he was undergoing selflessly true meditation. Despite this fact, the other unscrupulous youths did not stop claiming the renewed appearance of the vanished adult. Although hard to believe, many people spoke of incarnation of the deceased.
Similarly, in the Western part of Nepal, the so-called Baba would cast magic on the local school girls. Unknown to all people, the Baba would inflict mass hysteria to innocent school girls. The ignorant people would rushed to the same Baba with the victim to sought his help for tantric cure. Thus, he would gain peoples’ trust and respect by the curing the girls (victims) who were actually suffering from mass hysteria. But when people knew about his witchcraft, they insulted him badly and handed him over to the police custody. This incident made the people suspicious about Saints and Babas in modern days with few exceptions.
Still there is another incidence to be noted. One of the tribally renowned spiritual leaders who claimed to have traveled around the world preaching for peace and religious unity, harmony, cooperation and mutual understanding, proudly mentioned that he had walked on the surface of the still pond in his locality in Eastern Nepal and got enlightened. Whenever he talked about bloody wars, mass killings, suppression and evictions in different parts of the world, we could see his disciples shaking violently in front of him. This dramatic shaking would be alright in a few moments after his gentle touch and silent prayer. But I and my friends, being around the same audience, were totally unaffected. I still remember when at once, he talked about the weather condition. As a matter of chance or coincidence, his predicament about the weather came to be true .The cloudy weather which was signaling the rainfall was almost clear in a matter of minutes when he told us to pay sincere attention to his speech, warning us that the contrary would be unfavorable due to heavy rain if he so desired. Many people who were there listening to his speech readily accept his spiritual powers but few others including me readily didn’t agree because we can hear and know the weather forecast through different communications media like television, radio, newspapers, computers and so on and we can keep update about the typical weather for the particular day or the other.
There are considerably many religious, devoted and pious people who live selfless and plain life in some parts of India and Nepal. They spend most part of their lives in meditation, fasting and penance wishing for the very best of other peoples’ lives. They don’t put physical and material needs as their topmost priority. They usually teach other people about peace and nonviolence, love and affection to all beings and creatures. Most of these people are found to be married and unmarried singles who prefer to live in and around the temples. As a matter of bitter truth, these people suffer the death without any achievements and blessings. That is why many people don’t care much about faiths and religious ideologies.
There are many other clues to understand more about god. Long long ago, most of our people used to pray and depend on god’s fortunes. During the cultivation seasons, particularly the monsoon seasons (May, June, July, August and September) they used to pray and please aquatic animals, particularly frog, that would in turn pleased ‘Indra’, the Hindu god of rain. By coincidence, people would get adequate rain needed for the cultivation purposes and thus they would consider themselves lucky. So, they began to perceive that there is god invisible to all who would understand peoples’ prayers and devotions and hence respond in their needs. However, any person who has a basic geographical knowledge of South-Asia will have learned that it is not because of rain god but it is because of South-West monsoon winds which blow from the Bay of Bengal that brings heavy rain in South Asia mostly from June to September. Later, when most of the ordinary people knew the facts, they gave up old practices of praying aquatic creatures side by side and started adopting modern farming system.
Likewise, people used to honor sun, moon, stars, planets and other heavenly bodies same like gods. When there were natural calamities like earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, landslides, etc. or phenomena like solar eclipses, lunar eclipses, thunder and lightning, people would often pray and remember god for all such misfortunes. During eclipses, people would shout, beat drums and tins and crack fires until everything is over. They considered eclipses as bad omens. But at least every averaged-educated people must have known that eclipses are the natural phenomena which occur when the part of the light falling from the sun is partially blocked by the moon or earth whichever comes in between and that these eclipses last for a time-being only. They get automatically over even if the people don’t shout or beat drums. As already stated, many of our people used to honor moon as god with high reverence by the name “Chandrama”. When the western world has already stepped, walked and slept on the moon, our people would be seen revering it as a divine form. Now, most of them know the fact that the moon is only a heavenly body made of rock held in the space by the gravitational force but still they don’t want to give up their prayers to protect the faiths of the old, sick, disabled, and suffered people.
All the incidences and prevailing concepts mentioned above give us adequate clues, at least to me whether god(s) exist(s)/ existed or not. So, it might be the wastage of time, energy and money to expect every fortunes, assistance and blessings from the god during difficult moments of sorrows and insurmountable hardships when the concept of existence of god in itself is vague and controversial.
We have seen and heard about modifications, changes, and adjustments of aged-old and orthodox traditions in Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, to name a few. Most of those changes were either totally rejected (refused) or admired with great challenges. However, there are still some old practices that hinder and affect the optimum human development and the proper functioning of the human society. Although, I have focused mainly on the superstitious and orthodox Hindu traditions, I believe basic idea of this writing can possibly draw anyone’s attention to analyze the problems we may have in any religions irrespective of traditions, customs, norms, beliefs no matter whether one is a Christian, Hindu, Buddhist or Muslim. I don’t mean to say that we should disregard the religious faith we have. We must learn that they are only the man-made social beliefs that have passed many generations from the beginning of our human civilization. Since what was practical and usual in the olden days cannot be meaningful and scientific today, we must not hesitate to discard the superstitious practice of witchcraft, unwanted burdens of traditional or age-old duties and orthodox religious practices. We should find out the limitations in our ceremonial rituals, customs and traditions and if necessary amend few of them. Since most hereditary complications cannot be treated, we must be considerate, sympathetic and careful not to hurt the victims thereby keeping in mind that no one likes to be suffered and deprived. We must be far-sighted, open-minded, objective and observant to the fact that if even the expert or specialized and trained people make mistakes, then it is normal for the invalids, disables, ills or handicapped people who suffered due to one form of complications or the other. Being human beings, we all have hearts that get hurt in pains and sufferings. Knowing all these realities, we should act rationally and modestly. We should show honesty and modesty to all classes and categories of people. To say in short, we must show humanitarian considerations in all aspects of life. Also, we must be progressive and should not be hesitant by saying that changes occur slowly by itself. The fact is that changes rarely occur unless we bring them or else the changes might be undesirable and unsought.