Hi,
As a way of overcoming the very hectic week's stress I was watching this video "Tantra of Gyuto- sacred rituals of Tibet" Sheldon Rochlin and Mark Elliot, Video, Mystic Fire Video
at Harvard library -after an hour long trip to the river. I was a bit hurt that some young lads tried to frighten me away from my place on the river bed (seemed like some first year students at Harvard whose residences are facing the river-took me for the weak Indian guys we see around here generally) by loud uncouth noises and raucous laughter.
They quietened down a bit after I displayed my expertise in bouncing stones off the water surface-and my feeling at home in the rough natural surroundings. Anyhow that stress in dealing with these guys cut me off a bit from my studies stress (Had 2 presentations -final ones for two courses coming to an end and the long written paper, besides submitting two tax forms and getting visa documentation done).
I have always been intrigued by Tibetan Buddhism - after reading novels by Lobsang Rampa.
However, I did not know that they too had terms like Tantra, Yogi, Yama (the God of Death) , Mahaakaala -defender of Dharma (like Hindu Goddess Kali). Though Buddhists are said NOT to believe in God - but it seems that their version of God is like the formless (Nirgun, Niraakaar) one of Hinduism. They certainly do not believe in praying to a human-like God like the Christian or Muslim faith. However, they do have temples and do pray to Buddha or other variants (highre beings ) like Mahaakaal.
So I guess human beings at the baisc level of spirituality need some human-like higher power to pray to. I a bit higher level they can feel the "Force" etc I believe.
It was instructive that an Indian Buddhist monk had been invivted in 7th century to preach in Tibet (at that time Tibet was all powerful nation ruling over China and Nepal as well). I did not know that Lhasa , the capital was right above Bhutan and Assam- I used to think that it was near Nepal and UP.
Some people in the West believe that it is possible to be both a Christian and a Buddhist simultaneously -- but seeing that all faiths have thewir people pray to some human-like higher being or the other I would believe that it is possible to beleieve in all faiths - like RamKrishna said .
I recently learn from a Brazilian educator that in 1940s some Japanese had sailed there, but were not allowed to land or take in provisons unless they converted to Catholic faith-which they did as they walked down the gangway.
Islam ofcourse has been famous for that. Recently Hindu guys from VHP in Goa for instance have been accused beating a inter-religoius couple and forcing an abortion for a Hindu girl married to a Christian guy. Chile still does not allow divorce-leave alone abortion.
Seems Samuel Huntington might prove to be right after all.
Will he be?
Umesh
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