Heaven and Hell

Durkheim, in his 'Elementary Forms of Religious Life’, stated how man’s relationship with god was never one sided. Just as much as man needed god, the latter needed the former because without his offerings, god would simply die. Do you agree with this notion? I do.

My mum’s side of the family are devout Buddhists, while my Dad fluctuates between an agnostic and an atheist (are they supposed to be the same thing?). Nevertheless I was brought up a Buddhist. Growing up, I never questioned why I was doing what I was doing. I poured water into seven water-bowls. I did three prostrations every once in a while. I enjoyed looking at the fluttering prayer flags in our terrace. I prayed to Guru Rinpoche (Guru Padmasambhava who brought Buddhism into Sikkim and nearby areas in the 8th century) and Kenchosum (the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha) for their blessings. I was humbled each time I set foot inside a monastery. A long trip would mean seeking blessings of the monks at Enchey Gompa. My maternal grandfather was the head monk of the second oldest monastery in Sikkim- Phodong Gompa, and he always told us to be good Buddhists. Of course I had no idea what he was talking about then.

At the age of 21, I started questioning everything I was seeing and in contact with. The most dominant question in my head was- Why? What is the significance of prayers written on the flags? Why seven water-bowls? Why Kenchosum and not Kenchodzi? Why three prostrations? Why was I supposed to do it in a certain way with my folded hands touching my forehead, my lips and my chest? And then I started reading, a lot. I have always been a believer of simple things in life and, therefore, the same applies to writing as well. I like easy-to-understand words, stuff I can relate to instantly. Therefore I started reading books by His Holiness, Deepak Chopra and others. What I now understand of Buddhism has more to do with philosophy, than it being a religion. It is hard for me to digest certain beliefs and faith that people have back home, especially in rural areas. Just last week, from the day grandma passed away till her funeral, we had no rain. We are in the middle of monsoon here. The monks said they had been praying for clear skies and, in fact, confirmed that there would be a dry funeral. Now do I believe or disbelieve?

Heaven and hell are not two different realms of existence. Both are here right now. I don’t think one needs to wait till death for the final judgment. Even if some do, how do you prepare for something you have no idea about? We have children in Somalia dying of extreme hunger and, in the same breath, we have people enjoying luxury cruises around the world. Let us forget human beings for once and take animals as examples. We find stray dogs when we walk around town and we also watch Chihuahuas on tv who are a current fashion accessory for celebrities in the developed west. We have such discrepancies even among animals. A pet of a multi-millionaire in America is so much better off than a starving child in Africa. If this is not heaven and hell right here, then what is?

I agree this is just one side of the coin and there is still a lot of ground to be covered. But for now it is pretty difficult to accept much else.