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| Sunday, 24 October 2004 |
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Exploring the teachings of the Buddha and Krishnamurthi Can humanity change? Krishnamurthi (1895-1986) is one of the great spiritual teachers of the 20th century. Despite his emphatic denial of comparison of his teachings, with those of other religions, the remarkable affinity of the core teachings of the Buddha with the basic teachings of J. Krishnamurthi has inspired many erudite discerning Buddhist scholars both of the Theravada and Mahayana tradition to converse with Krishnamurthi on matters which appear as common ground between these teachings. In Sri Lanka the foremost among such scholars were Dr. E. W. Adikaram, Rev. Ananda Maitriya and Rev. Dr. Walpola Rahula. Dr. Adikaram's writings and talks compiled in the Situvili series reflect the profound influence Krishnamurthi's teachings had on him. (Incidentally Dr. Adikaram in 1970 founded the Krishnamurthi Centre of Sri Lanka) Rev. Dr. Walpola Rahula was an acknowledged authority on Mahayana and Theravada schools of Buddhism. He had lectured at various universities of the world and authored articles on the Buddha in the Encyclopedia Britannica. His well-known introduction to the teachings of the Buddha, What the Buddha Taught has been translated into several languages. The Krishnamurthi Foundation of England and America has preserved in audio and video tape the conversations Rev. Dr. Walpola Rahula along with the eminent physicist Professor David Bohm, scientist and author Phiroz Metha and Irmgard Schloegl, well-known authority on Zen Buddhism initiated in 1978-79 with J. Krishnamurthi at Brockwood Park in England where the British Krishnamurthi foundation is located David Skitt has edited these conversations and has brought out in book form this work entitled 'Can Humanity Change?'-'J. Krishnamurthi in Dialogue with Buddhists' which is an invaluable exploration into the core teachings of the Buddha and J. Krishnamurthi. The major part of this book consists of five sections entitled: i. Are you not saying what the Buddha said? It is evident from these titles that they encompass practically the major areas dealt with in the teachings of the Buddha and Krishnamurthi. All these conversations are significantly initiated by Rev. Dr. Walpola Rahula by propounding the Buddha's teaching on these subjects. With the participation of the others, and the insightful contribution by J. Krishnamurthi, each topic is discussed and presented with great lucidity and insight, such that the discerning reader will have the benefit of a comprehensive exposition of each topic. Dr. Rahula opens with the proposition that "What the Buddha taught twenty five hundred years ago you teach today in a new idiom, new style and new garb". He then elucidates some of the common ground between the two teachings, for example, the Buddha's non-acceptance of the notion of a creator God, the Anatta doctrine, namely the denial of an eternal everlasting unchanging soul or atman. Similarly the promise that human life is a predicament, suffering, conflict and sorrow caused by the wrong idea of self and that freedom from attachment, whether good or bad, is freedom from conflict are found as parallels in both teachings. Seeing things as they are (Yatha bhuta gnana Dassana) or in Krishnamurthi's words "What is" as the approach to seeing the truth are found in both teachings. Further, the freedom from dependence on any psychological authority is the core of the teachings of the Buddha as well as of Krishnamurthi. Similarly Dr. Rahula explains that the Buddha's teaching of Satipattana, the presence of awareness or mindfulness, is the same as what Krishnamurthi emphasized as "choiceless awareness" or total attention which he said is total virtue. As Krishnamurti points out "We have progressed technologically, scientifically, hygienically and all the rest of it, but psychologically, inwardly we have not, we are what we were ten thousand or more years ago". 'Is there a state of mind without the self?' Krishnamurti discusses the self and inquires into the whole process of identification which is the movement of thought. He also inquires if this identification can come to an end with death and if death is the continuity of that movement into the next life. In 'Free Will Action Love,' while defining Will as accentuated, heightened, strengthened desire, Krishnamurti inquires whether desire can ever be free. What is taken as free will is the freedom of choice which exists only when the mind is confused. When it is clear, there is no choice. Thus insight has nothing to do with will. In 'What is Truth' the concept of time, both psychological and chronological is discussed. Psychological time is seen as an invention of thought and is a means of achieving a desired end and escape from pain through reward. Finally 'Life after Death', Dr. Rahula states that according to Buddhism, whatever continues after death is not an unchanging substance and the word 'rebirth' is a misnomer. Whereas it is really rebecoming (Punabhava) Krishnamurti postulates when the body dies the desires, the anxieties, the tragedies and the misery will go on. In that state of inquiry Krishnamurti states, there is insight when one perceives that the inquirer and the inquiry are one. In this same discussion Krishnamurti inquires from Dr. Rahula what Buddhist meditation is and Dr. Rahula states that insightful vision (Vipassana) is true meditation, to see into the nature of things. - "what is" and according to original teaching of the Buddha there is no 'system' to attain this. Sathipattana, Dr. Rahula explains as the presence of awareness, awareness of every movement, every action, everything. In Part II of the book, the Editor has included answers to questions put by others and the vigorous answers Krishnamurti gives maybe of as much interests to Buddhists as to students of Krishnamurti and readers in neither of these two groups. However, throughout these conversations the true spirit of religious inquiry prevails where in the course of these discussion there is no attempt made to arrive at final and conclusive answers. ############### An educationist on education by Prof. Ranjith Ruberu In Sri Lanka education is being discussed more by politicians than by educationists. Therefore, when an educationist discusses problems in education it is most welcome for as he speaks with both knowledge and experience. Prof. Ranjith Ruberu, former Dean of the Faculty of Education, University of Colombo, in a slim volume, discusses several topical issues - Year One admissions, use of the mother tongue and English as media of instruction, teacher training, school evaluation, science education and pre-school education. He also bemoans the lack of a consistent national education policy. Such a policy should set both long-term and short-term objectives and should cater to the production of men of learning as well as human resources necessary for economic development. In his opinion the free education program initiated by Dr. C.W.W. Kannangara remains the most significant and productive education reform in the entire modern history of the country. Dr. Ruberu questions the wisdom of the proposal to change the medium of instruction into English. While acknowledging the importance of teaching English as a complementary language and proposing the use of English as a working language in schools, he nevertheless points out that according to educationists the best medium of instruction for the child is his mother tongue. He says Swabhasha media have established itself for nearly half a century and it would be not advisable to change it overnight to English, especially in view of the lack of competent and qualified teachers. Moreover, the majority of teachers who now teach in the Swabhasha media would find themselves redundant if the medium of instruction is changed overnight, he argues. The drop in the quality of education is not necessarily due to the medium of instruction and more fundamental causes have to be addressed to remedy the situation, he claims. The rush for admission to popular city schools is a result of unplanned development of schools and the faulty distribution of resources and resource personnel among schools, he concludes. He proposes that central and provincial education authorities should work out a strategy to improve selected schools at provincial level so as to avoid the rush for admissions to popular city schools. The distribution of resources is mostly done on grounds of political expediency rather than on the needs of children was his observation. The negative effects of having untrained teachers cannot be exaggerated and it is necessary to train all teachers now employed and recruit only trained teachers in the future, says the Professor. - JV ############### Viveka bridges the language gap Reviewed by Florence Wickramage The month of Nikini (August) in India is an auspicious month. During this period young maidens tie the thread Rakhi on the wrist of young men and this event is ceremoniously observed. Rakhi or Rakshan Bandan means 'tie to protect'. The red Rakhi thread is colourfully woven and young maidens in India look forward to this ceremony with great anticipation. Rakhi, originally written by Vishwambharanatha Sharma is a collection of a translation of Indian short stories written in Hindi by renowned Indian authors. They depict the social, cultural, traditional and religious aspects of the Indian society which are preserved and nurtured by generations. Each of the stories in this book vividly portray highly valued aspects of the rich Indian culture and the society which takes the reader along a learning process. Rakhi itself is a moving story where a young man on a journey accidentally comes across a young girl who is unhappy. He stops at her house and the girl who was anticipating to be part of the Rakhi ceremony ties the Rakhi on the young man's wrist. He goes off and after several years comes back in search of this girl whose memory had lingered in his mind. On arriving at her house the girl's mother on seeing this young man faints - the story unfolds to a dramatic end. The young man happens to be the long lost son of this mother and the elder brother of the young girl. Bachchonka Samayawad (Socialism for a small boy) and Devaratha are two outstanding stories highlighting contrasting aspects of the Indian society. Bachchonka Samayawad is the work of author Bhadantha Ananda Kaushalyaan and the story Devaratha by Jayashankar Prasad depicts signs of a changing revolutionary society highlighting conflicts that arise in a human mind. The translator of the collection of Rakhi is Viveka Samarasinghe a Journalist with the Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited. Viveka has been a Hindi scholar for the past 25 years. An old girl of St. Paul's Girls School, Milagiriya, Viveka continued her higher studies at Anula Vidyalaya. She traces her interest in the Hindi language to a book given by her uncle as far back as 1966. Since then her burning desire to master the language brought her under the tutelage of Ravilal Wimaladharma the Hindi Lecturer at the Kelaniya University. Viveka's translation Rakhi is a maiden effort and has been hailed as a valuable pioneering contribution to Hindi Literature by Hindi Guruji of the Indian Cultural Centre and the President of the All Ceylon - Hindi Sammelanaya, Prabhath Salgado. The translation Rakhi is a tribute to the Hindi Language Viveka learnt. Her ambition to proceed further with the Hindi language has enabled Viveka to translate a collection of songs by Mukesh. Titled 'Mukesh Nomiyena Geethaya' the book is under publication. Her next effort is the compilation of an English-Sinhala-Hindi Dictionary followed by a compilation of a translation of renowned Bharatha Poets and Poetesses. |
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