Today, religion is wrongly being associated with the violence and hatred prevalent in society. Staunch followers of faith use religion as a catalyst for satisfying their political or personal goals by influencing general followers, resulting in evolving a catastrophic vision of what religion ‘should’ be in contemporary society. If not addressed urgently, this disturbing phenomenon with the mixture of a particular kind will leave no stone unturned to damage the social fabric of democracy.
In addition, it is also important to understand how a humanist approach and world view, which addresses the human condition in its tenet and practice, are influenced by religion. If this understanding of religion is given a cold shoulder, it is likely that we will not be able to determine the role played by religion in the Indian society. Interfaith harmony, of keeping differences aside through the practice of compassion and service to others, comes out as the main aim of all the religious discourses.
We also need to ponder over the persistent characteristics of religion, for completely understanding the role played by religion in contemporary India, that are far from the angles of political gains and personal exaggeration. The contributions of the Kashmiri Shaivite mystic Lal Ded, Guru Nanak, the saints and poets of the Bhakti tradition and many, many others are the examples of ancient noblemen. A present-day exemplar is the teachings of the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso.
A sense of awe, stillness and anticipation in the air prevails among the people in the packed hall of a temple complex in McLeod Ganj, Himachal Pradesh to acquire the knowledge of the Nalanda Shiksha teachings on an eighth-century Buddhist text, Shantideva’s Bodhicharyavatara, or A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life. Over 1,200 people who have come from far-off places, some crossing international borders, await for the next three days the arrival of their Buddhist teacher. Respected around the globe for not only being as spiritual avatar, but also for being a preacher of peace and well-being, and one who does not worship at the altar of pelf and power, the 14th Dalai Lama respects and speaks of many religions. With a view to promote interfaith harmony, this ‘Guru’ seeks religious unity by not only through his private meetings with religious leaders, but also through discussions among them to develop mutual understanding, trust and goodwill.
Spiritual practice can be regarded as an important factor in uniting people in the hall from different cultures and faith. It is only their love for a man who is as distant as he could be from a ‘religious’ teacher: humble, gentle, and jocular—about himself (‘I talk too much... blah, blah, blah...’), about politicians, and the strange upside-down world we live in that people from far off places come here to seek blessing from him.
This unusual teacher in unique ways encourages the audience to not accept anything he says blindly out of faith. He believes ‘Skepticism is essential’ and states that it is good to reason and question the values of teaching. To understand oneself and one’s relationship to society, it is important to doubt, question, analyse, discover and practice, so that blind faith, ardent devotion and ritual can be side lined. On should emphasise on ‘oneness with humanity’, and the principle of fixed self has no place in this doctrine. He adds: ‘I am a global citizen’. He even tries to underline the interconnectedness between people, religions and nationalities.
This event is considered very important not only for the Buddhists, but also for the many others who want to understand Buddhism as a science. The Dalai Lama said: ‘Buddhism is not a religion; it is a science of the mind’. It is about human psychology. The possibilities for training the mind through mindfulness and introspection lie within each one of us. It is our wish to choose our future path to live with either conflict, despair and suffering, or by using human intelligence to make an effort to rein in negative thoughts, and live a life of harmony with other individuals.
Concerned with the conflicts surrounding religion, created by ‘mischievous elements’, and the distinctions of caste that create differences and exclusion, he stressed the need to at the same time, the Dalai Lama is well aware of the conflicts surrounding religion, created by ‘mischievous elements’, and the distinctions of caste that create differences and exclusion. There is a need to know our connectedness with all people.
Over few decades, the Dalai Lama has initiated to indulge with scientists to establish a scientific temper among young monks. Science education has emerged as an essential component of monastic education in the Dalai Lama’s monasteries. He has also been working to include secular ethics into the curriculum. With the help of Dalai Lama, a draft curriculum on secular ethics has been prepared by Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, for implementation in schools. In India, attempts to reinstate religious-based or classical tradition-based ‘values’ in education are expected to have disastrous consequences in its implementation and outcome as children would unwittingly become firm supporter of particular religious traditions and see others as ‘different’. The focus on values coming from religious discourse and not religious harmony will only serve to reproduce conflict. The initiative by Emory University is the first of its kind to keep completely secular approach to the preparation of a curriculum that seeks to restore ‘ethics’ (without any religious connotations) as a core value in school curriculum.
It is in this sense that we may speak of religion with a humanist face. The view that religion must only be used to divide and destroy, to manufacture and indoctrinate, to motivate and engender violence is very limited. Being citizens who want a future sans violence and fear for ourselves and our children, it is important to ensure that larger goals of humanity and its enduring potential should not be overshadowed by petty political ambitions with a narrow world view.