Chris and Kris in India 33

Hi all,

This month we thought that we would give you a mainstream Indian point of view on a subject often discussed here. So often reports are very one sided in the Foreign press, this is an attempt to show how feelings are running here on this subject we reproduce the  following two articles. We, as individuals may not agree with some of what is said here but our point here is to give you an Indian perspective often ignored.

For that reason we have given over most of the blog to this question.

Why is there so much Religious Intolerance?

Sema Chakrobartty “The Speaking Tree” published in The Times of India March 2015

“The good God made them all.” Most are OK with this statement. But with our insatiable desire for knowledge, we continue to explore the concept of God and hence celebrate the discovery of the “God” particle and continue to look for that one Truth that binds everything. Author Dan Brown says “Science and religion are partners trying to use two different languages to tell the same story”. But while scientific language deals with facts, figures and formulas, faith relies on imagination, foresight and intuition.

Ancient civilisations worshipped natural elements, and the sun occupied a special place. With the passage of time different interpretations of the Supreme started taking shape. Imagination gave was to Imagery. Delinking of human soul from the Supreme soul began and God is now used as an instrument for discrimination, subjugation and power. According to ancient seers, there is an Absolute reality or Super Consciousness, the formless, attribute-less Brahmn. Then there are several gods and goddesses. You can invoke the Divine in any form.

The Quran describes the Absolute as, “He is one and only, the eternal the Absolute, He begetteth not, nor He is begotten. And there is none like unto Him.” According to Christian faith God is the Supreme eternal being, who created the world and who preserves it. For Zoroastrians God is creator of truth and judge of our actions. Although in Buddhism there is no concept of God as supreme force and the focus is on attainment of nirvana, your merger with shunyata or pure consciousness remains the highest goal.

Great masters talked of oneness with the Supreme via love, honesty, non-violence, harmony, compassion and gratitude. They did not force their doctrine on people, they never taught hatred; they never taught hatred; they never tried to banish the gods of others. Today the teachings of these evolved souls have been disregarded. There is so much religious intolerance – churches are now being vandalised; the faithful are being violated.

If God is the highest reality and truth, and if inner purity and goodness take one closer to the Supreme, then why there is so much discord and intolerance among followers of different faiths?

We are an intrinsic part of the Universal Soul. Everything around us is interconnected. All our deeds, good or bad, have ripple effect. The Rig Veda says all living and non-living things in nature are part of the same cosmic equation and are pervaded by a higher consciousness. The basic law of nature or cosmic norms cannot be changed; it is a process of growth that can be experienced and realised. The search has to be inward.

The Kenopanishad says, “That which one cannot comprehend with the mind but because of which they say mind feels, know that alone as Brahmn. And not what people worship here (as an object).” God is pure consciousness, not limited by constraints of time and space.

Coming back to reverence of nature, according to Sooryaji, since we need a single unifying force for harmonious coexistence, why not turn to the sun? “We have a living God in the Sun who is the giver and sustainer of life on earth. No theology or theorem can ever dispute that.” He says. The Sun, arguably, is above discrimination, is undemanding, a Sakha or friend who rises every day to give us health, happiness and harvest. Every morning when we are able to fill our heart with these cosmic rays of light, we find we are a step closer to realisation, of the Supreme that manifests itself in and through the finite world.

 

 As you can see from the above its a complex issue that concerns all faiths here. It is acceptable for a woman to change faith to marry, or to keep her faith if she marries a Hindu. Then there's the cast system, something far more complex than it may appear to 'western' eyes.

We from here feel the concern is about mass conversions to and from any faith, but that having been said there would be no problem if an individual wished to change faith, perhaps Christian to Muslim or Hindu, or viceversa.

It is one of the great complexities of this very tolerant country. We live in a State that has laws against 'Evangelism'  now all I need is to understand what that means in practice.

If by seeing how a Christian/Muslim/Hindu/ behaves and lives their life a man or woman decides thats what they want to do, is this evangelism? What if a whole family wish to convert? The law is very complex as it must respect all faiths views on this subject.

With so many variables at play this is one debate that is going to run and run.

Mr Modi the prime minister is working very hard to unite all India and bring the country onto the world stage, to modernise and raise the general standard of living. At a time like this he says religious differences should be put aside, India first, religion second, we are all Indians'.
He has always spoken of tolerance for all people of whatever caste or faith living here. We feel India is going through a change, we believe for the betterment of all. 
The young in this country are a new Indian, making a new India, the drive to succeed and make something of yourself and the country through education and effort is almost tangible among those that can afford a good education. 
India is moving positively from a country that still had parts of the old English Raj attitudes to a new and vibrate world power. 
The poor are being slowly lifted up, the rights of women are now a major issue here. Womens rights are now being respected and recognised, but there is still much to do, but we are confident that the new India of tomorrow will be an example to others and a leading economic force in the world. 
Education and health are the key to India's future, this is why we came here, to help in that effort for all Indians to have a decent standard of living, education and health care..

Kris

Well this month has been very busy. 
The seminars on Breast Cancer Awareness, teaching women to self-examine has begun and there are new possibilities for reaching more women opening up. 

We have contacts with one of the biggest Universities in the city and are very optimistic that they will let me do several seminars there for their female students and female staff. 
I am still amazed at the lack of knowledge that even educated young women from good backgrounds have on the subject. I am quite nervous about speaking to so many young women I feel it will be worthwhile even if it only save one life by detecting cancer at an early stage. Chris has been very helpful giving me teaching tips, and helping me make the Seminar Presentation simpler and more visual. So thank you Chris.

Well we are in the middle of an upheaval, no don’t panic it is one of choice.

We are moving house, no, not leaving Udaipur or the Colony on which we live just moving to the street behind us. 

In our present home we have no long term security, whilst our Landlord has been good to us and we to him, he cannot give us a long term lease.  His son lives in America and may want the house on his return and we don't know when that will be, we do not feel we can live month by month wondering if we will still have a home. Some would say it is coincidence that a friend and his wife have decided to move out of state to live with their youngest son, I believe it is all God’s timing.

They know us well and they have agreed to a long term lease because of this, so we did not feel we could let this opportunity for stability pass us by. God helps those who help themselves and put their trust in him for guidance. Well we put the decision about whether we should look for a new home in God’s hands and this opportunity presented itself. We move 1^st April, we still have the other house here until 19^th April so it gives us time to take out air conditioners and put windows back in, which we kept and fill in any holes left where we have had our paintings hung.

The house is slightly smaller but it has a nice garden at the front and plenty of room for our chickens at the rear. We have permission to use part of the front garden for our vegetables so we will still grow our own food. The house feels cozy and welcoming and because of the layout should be easier to keep warm in winter and it will be cooler in the summer. In a lot of ways it reminds us of our first home together after we were married at Station Town, UK. We are on the end of a 'cul de sac' (no through road) and it is so secluded and private, yet just over the back wall our friends live. 

While chopping food I (Chris) managed to put a good sized slice in my arm, the blade sliced against the bone and left a tongue shaped flap..........ho hum more stitches and another scar on my beautiful body.

Kris was brilliant, she went into nurse mode, wet pressure pad and bandage to stop the blood loss, our neighbor took us straight to the hospital, one anti tetanus shot and a few stitches later and home. Isn't life interesting.

HDS
Kris in a Breast Cancer awareness session.

As you can see from the above she is really enjoying these sessions. Sorry about the quality of the photographs but they wouldn't let me in!

Our teaching is going well and 'Chringlish' (Chris'English) has kicked off to a good start, I am now three sessions into it and am as expected having to modify to suit the slightly different needs of the students.

HDS will be running a class at our local resort soon. I had to put it on hold for a couple of weeks............(the stroke that wasn't) but now we are off and running again.

We know this is late and a little short, we site moving home in our defence, next month a look at our new home, and return to the usual format.......maybe.

God Bless you all,
Chris and Kris in India