Posts
Monday, December 26, 2011
Saturday, December 17, 2011
The Genesis of Brahma I: The Two Religions
In theology all the major religions of the world can be traced to two sources - A-brahamic (Judaism, Christianity, Islam) and Brahminic (Hinduism and its various sects) and those related to it (Buddhism, Jainism). The Abrahmic religions have scriptures that carry a lot of minute details, and are prescriptive in nature. It is easy to get lost in them so much as to not realize that all three are the same. On the other hand, the texts of Brahminic religions are abstract, descriptive and possess such perplexing ambiguity and variety that they have coalesced into one organism - Hinduism.
Christians, Jews and Muslims all trace their lineage to Abraham (or Ibrahim in Quran). He is the father of mankind. It was in the fertile valley of the rivers Euphrates and Tigres, in the land of Jerusalem that all the mythological drama took place. God created Adam and Eve - the first man and woman, who were thrown out of the Garden of Eden for eating the forbidden fruit. The three religions offer different versions of this same narrative. Then came Moses and delivered the Jews from Egypt. When Moses died there was a prophecy that a new prophet will be born, a son of God, who will deliver them from their miseries. The difference between the three religions is this: the Christians believe that that prophet is Jesus Christ, the Muslims believe that that prophet is Mohammad, and the Jews believe that that prophet has not yet been born.
Back here in the fertile valley of Indus (Sindhu), and Ganga another mythological show was on. Hundreds of tribes fought for the resources of the fertile land and the dense tropical jungle that was most of the Indo-Gangetic valley we see now. It is difficult and preposterous to form an exact narrative, but it is not difficult to see that the different castes and sub-castes that exist across the sub-continent owe their origin to different tribes who had different religious beliefs. There are 330 million deities in India. The deities vary, suited to the environment - Elephant God (Maharashtra), the Dark Mother Goddess riding a tiger (the jungles of Bengal), and the rain god Indra (in the monsoon irrigated Indo-Gangetic plains). These were independent tribes, who were brought together, in the largest social experiment ever, into the fold of one religion in order to control the constant bloodshed. That social experiment was the Varna (caste) system. It makes eminently more sense to think of the caste system not as division of society of one religion for efficient economic allocation (as religious hardliners and Hindu apologists believe) but as a union of a society of many religions to control constantly warring factions.
This process of ideological integration and philosophical ascendancy over the years can be seen in the structure of the Sanskrit Vedic tradition. As one moves from the Samhitas to Brahmanas to Aranyakas to the Upanishads to Vedanta one sees a transition from mechanical prayers to demi-gods such as Indra for materialistic gains (a society struggling for survival) to a very conscious effort to transcend from worshipping the Devas (the givers) to searching for the Divine (Brahmna) without by the Atma (the self) and to the point where the Divine is realized within ("Aham Brahmasmi" - I Am Brahma). Thus the demi-gods were first acknowledged and then slowly rejected. This process allowed the assimilation of the various sects into one Brahminic fold.
This social and philosophical integration reached it peak during the writing of the Mahabharata, composed by the same Ved Vyasa who also compiled the Vedas into one corpus. In Mahabharata, Krishna (Vishnu) makes a mockery of Indra and asks the villagers people not to pray to Indra but to cows, the mountain Gowardhana and the trees. In the divine song, Geet(song)-a, Vyasa makes Krishna declare that the caste system is created by Him and it is He who is the supreme of all supremes. He details the Yogas - ways of attaining liberation - Prema (love), Karma (action), Dharma (duty) and Gyana (knowledge). Out went Yagna (outwardly mechanical prayers to the Devas for material gains), and in came Yoga (disciplining of the self for liberation of soul - moksha). The various sects were free to pray to anyone they liked, but it was not to be forgotten that Narayana was the supreme lord, and all must bow down to the Brahmins, the favorites of Narayana as Krishna says, the keepers of religion, and the guardians of this social order. Thus the social structure was firmly established- one Brahmin religion that superseded all local or tribal sects under the aegis of the caste system.
It is not difficult to see, linguistically speaking, that "Abraham" (and his consort Sarai) and "Brahma" (with his consort Sarai-swati) are two different forms of the same underlying word. Both are said to be the fathers of mankind. There are many other similarities, in the narratives and the linguistics which point out to the fact they are one and same. Perhaps both derive from the same master religion which has now been forgotten. Perhaps there was an effort to integrate the two religions before, which has now been erased from the memory of the civilization. Whatever it may be, it is certainly not a co-incidence.
Christians, Jews and Muslims all trace their lineage to Abraham (or Ibrahim in Quran). He is the father of mankind. It was in the fertile valley of the rivers Euphrates and Tigres, in the land of Jerusalem that all the mythological drama took place. God created Adam and Eve - the first man and woman, who were thrown out of the Garden of Eden for eating the forbidden fruit. The three religions offer different versions of this same narrative. Then came Moses and delivered the Jews from Egypt. When Moses died there was a prophecy that a new prophet will be born, a son of God, who will deliver them from their miseries. The difference between the three religions is this: the Christians believe that that prophet is Jesus Christ, the Muslims believe that that prophet is Mohammad, and the Jews believe that that prophet has not yet been born.
Back here in the fertile valley of Indus (Sindhu), and Ganga another mythological show was on. Hundreds of tribes fought for the resources of the fertile land and the dense tropical jungle that was most of the Indo-Gangetic valley we see now. It is difficult and preposterous to form an exact narrative, but it is not difficult to see that the different castes and sub-castes that exist across the sub-continent owe their origin to different tribes who had different religious beliefs. There are 330 million deities in India. The deities vary, suited to the environment - Elephant God (Maharashtra), the Dark Mother Goddess riding a tiger (the jungles of Bengal), and the rain god Indra (in the monsoon irrigated Indo-Gangetic plains). These were independent tribes, who were brought together, in the largest social experiment ever, into the fold of one religion in order to control the constant bloodshed. That social experiment was the Varna (caste) system. It makes eminently more sense to think of the caste system not as division of society of one religion for efficient economic allocation (as religious hardliners and Hindu apologists believe) but as a union of a society of many religions to control constantly warring factions.
This process of ideological integration and philosophical ascendancy over the years can be seen in the structure of the Sanskrit Vedic tradition. As one moves from the Samhitas to Brahmanas to Aranyakas to the Upanishads to Vedanta one sees a transition from mechanical prayers to demi-gods such as Indra for materialistic gains (a society struggling for survival) to a very conscious effort to transcend from worshipping the Devas (the givers) to searching for the Divine (Brahmna) without by the Atma (the self) and to the point where the Divine is realized within ("Aham Brahmasmi" - I Am Brahma). Thus the demi-gods were first acknowledged and then slowly rejected. This process allowed the assimilation of the various sects into one Brahminic fold.
This social and philosophical integration reached it peak during the writing of the Mahabharata, composed by the same Ved Vyasa who also compiled the Vedas into one corpus. In Mahabharata, Krishna (Vishnu) makes a mockery of Indra and asks the villagers people not to pray to Indra but to cows, the mountain Gowardhana and the trees. In the divine song, Geet(song)-a, Vyasa makes Krishna declare that the caste system is created by Him and it is He who is the supreme of all supremes. He details the Yogas - ways of attaining liberation - Prema (love), Karma (action), Dharma (duty) and Gyana (knowledge). Out went Yagna (outwardly mechanical prayers to the Devas for material gains), and in came Yoga (disciplining of the self for liberation of soul - moksha). The various sects were free to pray to anyone they liked, but it was not to be forgotten that Narayana was the supreme lord, and all must bow down to the Brahmins, the favorites of Narayana as Krishna says, the keepers of religion, and the guardians of this social order. Thus the social structure was firmly established- one Brahmin religion that superseded all local or tribal sects under the aegis of the caste system.
It is not difficult to see, linguistically speaking, that "Abraham" (and his consort Sarai) and "Brahma" (with his consort Sarai-swati) are two different forms of the same underlying word. Both are said to be the fathers of mankind. There are many other similarities, in the narratives and the linguistics which point out to the fact they are one and same. Perhaps both derive from the same master religion which has now been forgotten. Perhaps there was an effort to integrate the two religions before, which has now been erased from the memory of the civilization. Whatever it may be, it is certainly not a co-incidence.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
The Beggar's Paradox
Rabindranath Tagore was the foremost poet, musician, playwright and philosopher from Bengal in the last century. Patriotic but still a globalist, even Mahatma Gandhi called him "Gurudev". He became Asia's first Nobel laureate by winning the 1913 Nobel Prize in Literature.Tagore's writings touch the heart, and put the most complex truths in the simplest of forms, without being overly didactic. Here is a small poem, translated from Bengali, from Gitanjali, Tagore's epic work in poetry.
The Little Grain of Gold
I had gone a-begging from door to door in the village path, when thy golden chariot appeared in the distance like a gorgeous dream and I wondered who was this King of all kings !
My hope rose high and methought my evil days were at an end, and I stood waiting for alms to be given unasked and for wealth scattered on all sides in the dust.
The chariot stopped where I stood. Thy glance fell on me and thou camesst down with a smile. I felt that the luck of my life had come at last. Then of a sudden thou didst hold out thy right hand and say “What hast thou to give to me ?”
Ah, what a kindly jest was it to open thy palm to a beggar to beg ! I was confused and stood undecided, and then from my wallet I slowly took out the least little grain of corn and gave it to thee.
But how great my surprise when at the day’s end I emptied my bag on the floor to find a least little grain of gold among tho poor heap. I bitterly wept and wished that I had had the heart to give thee my all.
My hope rose high and methought my evil days were at an end, and I stood waiting for alms to be given unasked and for wealth scattered on all sides in the dust.
The chariot stopped where I stood. Thy glance fell on me and thou camesst down with a smile. I felt that the luck of my life had come at last. Then of a sudden thou didst hold out thy right hand and say “What hast thou to give to me ?”
Ah, what a kindly jest was it to open thy palm to a beggar to beg ! I was confused and stood undecided, and then from my wallet I slowly took out the least little grain of corn and gave it to thee.
But how great my surprise when at the day’s end I emptied my bag on the floor to find a least little grain of gold among tho poor heap. I bitterly wept and wished that I had had the heart to give thee my all.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Michelangelo's Judas
Michelangelo, however, preferred sculpting to painting. "Colors lose their distinctiveness when used with other colours. They change. Marble doesn't change." He, unlike other artists of the day, did not conjure up faces in his mind. And that is why he was constantly in search of models, models for baby Jesus, for the Maggi, for Gabriel, for each of the disciples. As a child in Bolgna, his birthplace, he frequently accompanied his alcoholic father to the local pub, to have peanuts outside. While weighing the peanuts, a few always rolled out of the basket and fell on the ground and a small naked boy standing nearby would pick them up, put one nut in his mouth and the rest back in the basket, and then wait for the next customer. Michelangelo used to buy peanuts just to watch that performance. He used the boy as the model for the naked baby Jesus in the statue of the Madonna of Brujis. He wanted his works to be true to the spirit. He spent hours reciting the Bible, trying to hear the voices of the characters, so that he could imagine their faces. For Mother Mary he had used the painting of his own mother, who suffered a lot due to poverty and a drunkard husband. One evening, under the dim light of the lantern, as she was busy preparing dinner, he painted her face, glowing like gold in the light of the fire.
Due to his insistence on immaculate portrayal, the Sistine Chapel was taking a long time to come up, and the Pope, who had hired him personally, was under fire for preferring a novice over some other well known painters. Finally, most of the Chapel was completed, except one painting which required the face of Judas. Michelangelo tried his best, but neither could he imagine Judas nor find a model in Rome who would suit his purpose. For how would that person look, he thought, who betrayed Christ for a few pieces of sliver? He got his answer at a dingy pub in Rome. "His eyes had unnatural glitter, he was restless and he spat again and again. His body had already begun to sag with age. He spoke so fast that words seemed to fall out of his mouth like coins from a torn pocket. He had gone to Michelangelo to beg for a dinar, but had ended up sharing a bottle with him. When Michelangelo came out of the pub, he saw the man ask someone else for two dinars."
Michelangelo had found his Judas. He struck a deal with the man to model for his paintings. The man came everyday to the Chapel. One day as he was looking at some of Michelangelo's paintings, his eyes stuck at one particular painting of baby Jesus. He asked Michelangelo about the painting. Michelangelo replied that he had made that sketch long ago in Bologna, where he came from.
"Do you remember his name?"
"Yes...Marsoleni."
The man smiled, rolled up his sleeve and showed a name tattooed on his arm: "Marsoleni".
"I am the same baby Jesus," he said, "whom now you are painting as Judas."
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