Four Noble Truths and Eight Fold Path

One of the earliest texts of Buddhism, Digha Nikaya, records some of the deeds and teachings of Gautama the Buddha. In it the Buddha also teaches the four Noble Truths, namely:

1. Suffering (Dukkha)
2. The origin of suffering (Dukkha Samudaya)
3. Cessation of suffering (Dukkha Nirodha)
4. The Path leading to the cessation of suffering ( Dukkha Nirodha gamini patipadi), which is the Noble Eight Fold Path ( ariya atthangika magga), and consists of:

a. Right View

b. Right Thought

c. Right Speech

d. Right Action

e. Right Livelihood

f. Right Effort

g. Right Mindfulness

h. Right Concentration

The eight steps can be categorised under three heading: Morality ( c-e), Concentration (f-h) and Wisdom ( a-b). The reason for categorising in this sequence is because morality is cultivated in the initial phase in order to prepare oneself for Concentration which is then supposed to lead one onto higher wisdom eventually. 

This aspect of morality is quite different from that of Christianity. In Christianity moral purity is not really to earn salvation/liberation. The Bible teaches that one cannot really earn salvation/liberation by observing moral norms because it is really impossible to attain moral perfection. And only by being morally perfect one can be in union with God since God is pure. Therefore, in Christianity moral 'perfection' in God's sight is something that God gifts to a person as the person comes to put his/her faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and God. And as a result of this new status, the person observes moral norms as his/her response to maintain the relationship with God.

By What Time is Metro Train Available at Rohini East/Rohini West/Rithala in the Morning?

Two weeks back when I wanted to board metro train early in the morning, I searched for information in the internet when I can board the first metro train from Rohini East to go towards Kashmere Gate. I found no information. So for the sake of those who may want to board the metro train in the morning like I did, I thought this piece of information may be useful.

I reached the Rohini East metro station at 5.50 AM. Few minutes later I saw the metro train from Kashmere Gate coming towards to Rohini East to proceed onto Rithala. The metro train perhaps started exactly at 6 AM from Rithala; it reached the Rohini East metro station at 6.04 AM. 

It reached Kashmere Gate at around 6.30 AM.

Evolution: How Old is the Earth -- 10,000 or 4.5 Billions years? Part 3

Some Christians read the Biblical text and conclude that the earth is ten thousand years old or little older. They further argue that geological finding does not contradict their interpretation of the Scripture. Other Christians read the same Biblical text and conclude that there is no indication that compels one to conclude the age of the earth as ten thousand years or so. So they take the help geological finding and conclude the earth is very old. The age of the earth matters to evolutionary theory because the theory requires millions of years for species to evolve. So if the earth is indeed as young as ten thousand years, theory of evolution is at stake. 

I take the latter position, which is to say that the Scripture does not compel to me take the age of the earth of 10,000 years or 50,000 years or a million years or a few billion years.  Some of the geological formation may rather appear to be very old when it is a very recent formation. I have come across certain Christian writers bringing to light the fact where older finding suggests a particular geological formation to be very old when newer research finding presents evidences that the formation is actually young. Thus taking such examples, these writers present their case for a very young earth. I don't think these cases establish that the earth is indeed young. Even if there is just one evidence that proves that certain geological formation or a rock piece or the formation of coal/petroleum or something of that sort is million of years old, it is strong enough to refute the arguments for a very young earth. Whereas young earth proponents would have to prove that this formation or that formation and the many many other formations are indeed young too. But this is not happening!

Understanding the Diversity of Religions

Different religions teach different belief system and therefore result in different practices. It is important that these differences are acknowledged and given due space to one another. Unless this acknowledgement comes about, it is quite possible that different religious believers quarrel over trivial matters. There may be certain matters where people of different religious persuasion fail to arrive at a common point. Yet if sufficient mutual understanding has been built in the first place, then differences at certain level may not really result in a conflict. Let me illustrate what I have been trying to say. 

Christianity is a monotheistic religion. This is to say that though Christians will acknowledge the existence of gods, she will insist that there is only one true and an all powerful God; the rest are not really powerful enough to deserve worship though divine in nature. So since religious culture and socio-cultural expressions are closely intertwined in India, there will be certain practices that a Christian may participate when her Hindu friends celebrate, but then refrain from certain other celebrations. This means that  a Christian may smear colour on others during Holi, but not participate in the puja; or she may burn crackers but not light a diya in front of goddess Lakhsmi during Diwali. To insist that a Christian too participate in offering prayer in a Temple or sing certain hymns will entail insisting her to give up her Christian belief for that moment.

A Hindu does not have constraints like a Christian or a Muslim would have. Since Hindus are polytheists in general, to offer worship to any deity is not a problem. So he can worship Jesus Christ in a Church, or Allah in a Mosque or Shiva in Shiv Mandir or Ram in a Ram Temple. And for someone with such a background, to find a Christian or a Muslim not willing to light diya in front of the statue of goddess Lakshmi during Diwali may come as a surprise. But if one is to understand that Christian believes in just only one deity, and to offer worship or prayer to any other deity is considered idolatry this should not come as a surprise. 

This differences in belief also result in another important aspect, which is the issue of conversion. Conversion changes the social set up of a community, and therefore this has wider implication. A Christian or a Muslim will share his or her belief with the intent that the other person will be persuaded to convert. But this is difficult for a Hindu to appreciate because he thinks that all the deities are just the same.  This, I think, is an area that will be difficult to sort out. One side will consider that not sharing her conviction with the intent of seeing the other person convert is not being faithful to her religious belief, and therefore she will proselytize; whereas the other side may perceive this act as a scheme to subvert the social structure. Though this tension may continue, I think, if each side understands the belief system better the possibility of each side being sensitive to the opinion of the other side persists. This thus raises the importance of inter-religious dialogue.

Is It Worthwhile Sending a Rocket to Mars?

Community Care Centres set up to care for the HIV infected people are closing down in various cities of India. It is said that fund shortage is the reason why this is happening. Therefore NGOs which do not rely on government funds are the ones that continue to provide care for the HIV infected people. Since government funded Centres have closed down, the NGO run Centres have been receiving so many more patients than earlier days. Few days back there was a news report in the Times of India that says that Indian Health Officials were booed at Paris for not being able to supply anti-TB drugs to its own people. 

Indian farmers committing suicide for not being able to pay back the loan they have taken make news on and off. Since a large section of the population depends on rain to irrigate their field, inadequate rain damages their prospect of a good harvest. The result is that they are unable to pay back the loan. P. Sainath in one of his articles in The Hindu on March, 2013, reports that since 1995, 270,940 farmers have committed suicide.  Besides, it is estimated that there are 14 million bonded-labour (or slavery!) in India, the highest in the world. China comes next, but India is way ahead of China in term of the number of people who are still in modern day slavery. 

So what is it that Mars' Mission will  benefit this people? Except for elite Indian being able to brag that India is sending rocket to Mars, I see no benefit to the common people. I wish the Rs. 450 crore was used to alleviate the suffering of some of these people than spent in sending a rocket to Mars.

Of course, we need ISRO to develop technology to warn us about cyclone or storm or give us prediction about the rain and snow.