This is your place to publicly comment on the topics and issues addressed in On Being programs. React in a personal way, and put into words what this program meant to you.
Submit Your Reflection about "The Buddha in the World."
Captivating (January 25, 2009)
Your interview with Pankaj Mishra was so powerful and impressive. His wisdom was captivating. Thank you for the inspiration you provided and the sensibility promoted through his messages.
(Wow, what could be a better week for promoting hope and empowerment through the goodness of being human … President Obama being sworn in and listening to the wisdom of Pankaj Mishra)
Sam Jilka
Lexington, NE (KLNE, 88.7 FM)
I Want All My Non-Buddhist Friends to Listen! (January 25, 2009)
What a timely interview! With MLK Jr's birthday just past, and the inauguration of a president who promises to move us past the current state of conflict and confusion, to hear this most clear and understandable explanation of who the Buddha was (and wasn't), what Buddhism is (and isn't), and how nonviolence can be used effectively.
I particularly loved Mr. Mishra's response to Ms. Tippet's question: "…[the] ethos of acquisition and building and progress and power is what, in fact, works in this world we inhabit. Now, how would you respond to that?" and his response was to say basically that he doesn't see the success, and that the whole western model of acquisition and the glorification of progress is actually a failure, since it only propagates violence and dissatisfaction!
Janaki Kuruppu
Rockville, MD (WAMU, 88.5 FM)
Letting go of Popular Abstractions (January 25, 2009)
Pankaj's thoughts, as expressed in this excellent interview, describe the ideas I have had a hard time communicating to my friends. That the models we have been taught, like the polemic of liberalism versus conservatism, keep us from seeing the possibilities. Instead they allow the people who benefit from the current state of the world to stay in power.
Greg Senko
Kennett Square, PA (WHYY, 91.0 FM)
Ashoka and Alexander (January 25, 2009)
I had hoped to spend this hour grading my fifth graders' papers with SOF as background, but it became quickly evident that SOF was going to hold my full attention. Perhaps not inappropriately, as this pile of papers includes my students' discussions of the history of ancient India (including Ashoka's reign and life), what the Buddha taught, and economics (including their reflections on the outstanding Story of Stuff website and the conflicts between free market principles and capitalism's tendency to encourage both materialism and chronic dissatisfaction among citizens).
It has been a standard exercise for many years for my ten year-olds to contrast Alexander's relationship with Diogenes against Ashoka's Buddhism. Clearly both A's were geniuses beyond the military and political domains, and perceived much wisdom in the teachings of their "change from within" gurus, although perhaps Alexander was too young to let go of the sword and its karmic complexities.
What I think both Diogenes and Buddha would want us to remember, though, is that both of these legendary leaders, like Hitler and Napoleon later, built remarkable empires through blood and fire … only to have them crumble very quickly as soon as the leader died. Their glorious legacies of conquest dissolved like snowflakes on a rushing river, but what lasted much longer from each was his mimetic legacy of thought and philosophy.
Manko Eponymous
Herndon, VA (WAMU, 88.5 FM)
Catholicism and Buddhism (January 24, 2009)
On the one hand Buddhism helps us to understand several of the aspects of Jesus. For example, Jesus said, paraphrasing: "Do not build on the things of this world, because this world is quickly passing away." Or from the Old Testament "Be still, and know that I am God."
For a Catholic, Jesus was and is the greatest and perfect practitioner of every virtue both religious and natural. One can say that He was the greatest Buddhist in so far as Buddhism practices virtue, and devotion to God (if Buddhism devotes itself to God).
Edward Helmrich
Larchmont, NY (WNYC, 93.9 FM)
Nepal (January 24, 2009)
There is a nation of 24 million people believing that Buddha was born in their country called Nepal. When Pankaj Mishra unequivocally stated Buddha to be born in India in your show, I felt that those millions of people were deprived of the pride to say that Buddha was their native son. Though it was stated in a philosophical context I still feel that the historical facts should be kept in perspective.
Chongba Sherpa
Woodside, NY (WNYC, 93.9 FM)
Myriad Praise (June 11, 2007)
Here's a little story. I just had a long day of teaching classes and had come home to unwind. In addition to fatigue, there was the ever present hunger deep within me to be edified by something. Out of laziness and sheer habit, I sought refuge in the "Tee-vee"; per usual, it was a waste of time. And then, out of the proverbial depths came this thought: why don't you "tune into" On Being. Instant relief. The "Buddha in the World" is just a moving, thought-provoking, and yes, liberating episode. From Krista's voice, and Kate's voice, to the music, to (obviously!) the content, I just found, as Rilke wrote, that the program "invoking the Unnamable" within me. From the Ground of my Being, I say merci for all of your authentic and moving work. I will keep you all in my prayers.
Andrew Seiscio
Bethlehem, CT (Listens to On Being OnDemand)
Buddha Represent! (June 5, 2007)
I am an American Buddhist monk living in the Bhavana Forest Monastery in Hampshire County, West Virginia. I enjoyed hearing the program about the Buddha. I thought that it was a very good interview Krista did with the guest speaker. It represented well the Buddha's message about finding inner peace, in your own mind, despite what is going on in the outside world. Mangalam (Blessings).
Bhante Y. Rahula
High View, WV (90.9 FM)
Uplifting Musical Interlude (June 5, 2007)
In the program, you used a most uplifting selection of interlude music, played by Mssrs. Cooder and Bhatt. It's one that I meditate to upon rising. Its sense of harmony and counterpoint helps remove the world's focus and allows me to listen — and sometimes hear — the spiritual guidance that is so important to being. I hope that others enjoyed the connection to the subject. Thank you for the continued efforts to show the spiritual aspect of our lives, our interconnection with one another, and the multi-faceted possibilities of loving our neighbors as ourselves. Peace to you and those you care about.
Russell Williams
Woodstock, IL (WNIJ, 90.9 FM)
A Dream Unfulfilled (June 4, 2007)
Your recent excellent interview with Pankaj Mishra spoke very well to American Buddhists. The American dream held out a great deal to all the people who came to this land. It was, of course, the capitalist dream, which America has tried to export globally with little success when measured in terms of inner peace. The insight of the author laid bare a similar phenomenon right here in America — the demise of the family farm after the GI Bill and the lure of suburbia which held out so much in terms of education and a "better life" but delivered so little in terms of connection. As an American Buddhist, one generation removed from a multi-generational family farm, and former back-to-the-lander, I can attest personally to the veracity of the author's understanding.
Diana Keyes
Morgantown, WV (90.9 FM)
Sense a Deeper Thread (June 4, 2007)
I will download and listen to the program again. I sense a thread that is in this program that I do not yet have intellectual control of. It seems it might be key to my efforts to create community action to get off fossil fuel and at the same time improve quality of life. I would love to have this Buddhist-oriented philosophical mind shift and its practical application in our world of power and money explored and made applicable for living a sustainable life for all.
Henry Swayze
Tunbridge, VT (Listens to On Being OnDemand)
Tired of 9/11 Melodrama (June 4, 2007)
I am tired of people acting like 9/11 is the greatest tragedy the United States ever experienced. Have people forgotten about slavery that resulted in civil war. In some of the battles, many more people were slaughtered in less time it took for the Twin Towers to fall. Then we had the Klan. After all, people forget about the U.S. firebombings in Germany and Japan. They killed even more than our atomic bomb attacks on Japan. During the the the period between the two wars against Iraq more than a million children died because of our trade embargo from malnutrition and lack of simple medicine. It is curious how he did not discuss cause and effect as one the Buddha's primary teachings. We are lucky we have only have had one 9/11 attack. Also it is curious that at Gitmo the judges dismissed the charges at the first trials basically before the trial even began.
Phil Sentner
Lyndonville, VT (Listens to On Being OnDemand)
Free-flowing (June 3, 2007)
I just want to thank you for offering the uncut, unedited version of the interviews. Today was the first time I've tried it. In the past I just downloaded the show. But the unedited version is wonderful; it really feels like I am listening to a free-flowing conversation. Thanks for being listener-friendly.
Tom Gullett
St. Paul, MN (Listens to On Being OnDemand)
Alexander the Great and Modernity (June 3, 2007)
I try and catch the show every week, as I have loved it since I discovered it within the last year. Today's show with Pankaj Mishra was particularly nice, and I plan on buying copies of his work ASAP. However, I wanted to point out that what was said on today's show about the propagation of Alexander the Great legends as starting with Napoleon and with the modern period is inaccurate. There is an extensive Medieval Islamic and early Christian corpus of legends about Alexander which is absolutely fascinating. There is a nice wikipedia article on it if interested.
Also, the notion that king Ashoka legends were pushed into the dustbin of history whereas Alexander's were not is also questionable. As well, the understanding that the two phenomena are opposed to one another is only useful for heuristic purposes, and can easily be countered when we see that the two leaders, and their legends and the way they were remembered and even what they can be said to have stood for, have much much in common.
Godwin R. Todd
Los Angeles, CA (KPCC, 89.3 FM)
Interpreting with Greater Inspiration (February 3, 2006)
This was a good program. But I was a little disappointed in the guest. He speaks well and is knowledgeable. I agreed with
most of what he said but when it came to expressing his thoughts and ideas, I didn't find him well-focused. For example, he related a lot of interesting information about the Indian king Ashoka, but when it came to assessing the man and his influence, I don't think he himself has a clear notion of these, so he wasn't able to convey this. The same is true of what he had to say about the Buddha, about the modern world, and so on. In short, for me he didn't measure up to other SOF guests, like Karen Armstrong, for instance, who not only knows her topic extensively, but is able to interpret it with great inspiration.
Bob Salmon
Cranford, NJ (Listens to On Being OnDemand)
Learning to Listen (February 3, 2006)
Thank you for "The Buddha in the World." Listening to it twice reminded us again of your real ability to ask questions that are exploring and open-ended, not limiting or pre-supposing. At least, it seems that many interviewers who do their homework so carefully end up — perhaps unintentionally — having answers in the backs of their minds rather than questions. And we remember — wishing we could recall his exact words — hearing Elie Wiesel say, "I don't want people who have the answers: I want to meet people who have questions." Thank you again for what you do so well. We're looking forward to "Dietrich Bonhoeffer" this weekend, on the 100th anniversary of his birth.
Marilyn and Alan Youel
Richfield, MN (KNOW, 91.1 FM)
Necessary and Inspiring (January 30, 2006)
I was deeply moved and fascinated by your replay of the interview with Mr. Mishra. I was not aware of the book, but instantly felt the relevance of his arguments in my own life as a New Yorker, American, and human being struggling to come to terms with this rapidly changing world. Mr. Mishra vividly conveyed the sense that we appear to be hurtling towards some chaotic future, over which we have little control. The complexity of society and politics divorces us from authentic experience, and we are left with consumer capitalism (for those who can afford it) as a comfort.
I was particularly struck by his arguments surrounding the "innocence" of the United States in comparison to the European powers. We have no tangible experience of the failures of empire/capitalism (wars fought abroad), and thus we have little context by which to reject the current trends in our country. In the face of cataclysmic destruction, the erosion of values, environmental devastation, we are left to "be a lamp" to ourselves as the Buddha perceived. Furthermore, I agree wholeheartedly with Mr. Mishra that it is not a matter of grafting some foreign system onto our own experience, but to discover the truth of our own existence. The Buddha challenges us to question everything (much as Christ did before the church got a hold of him.) Thank you for this presentation. For listeners looking for more practical applications of the Buddha's teaching, I would recommend the works of Jon Kabat-Zinn, Sakyong Mipham, and also a wonderful book (especially if you were ever into punk) titled Hardcore Zen by Brad Warner.
Harold Lehmann
Brooklyn, NY (WNYC, 93.7 FM)
Dreamlike Awakening (January 29, 2006)
7 a.m. Sunday morning my alarm clock radio starts up and it's On Being. The show is about Buddha and suffering and making sense of madras schools and hatred and Bin Laden. Who can do that? I lay half awake slipping into dreams filled with images of the author and me standing on a great hilltop overlooking a city of despair and suffering and I understand why I have been so lost with my own faith and why it fails me. I can't wait for the suffering of others to end I need to think about how I can make it happen in the here and now. His voice is rich with wisdom and compassion, and he doesn't judge me for sitting in a car in traffic listening to morning shows heading for an office strangled by ties and skirts and hard shoes. I decide to live in the moment and the hour and the day and do what I'm now responsible to do understand that I can do something now. Thanks for patience and teaching me about this. I walk down the mountain and feel ready and lighter as I awake to the day.
Paul Kraemer
Annapolis, MD (WYPR, 88.1 FM)
Simple Fixes from Afar (January 29, 2006)
I listened with great interest to your discussion today with Pankaj Mishra. Please consider how empty it is to say that someone from the East is less individualistic than someone from the West. I am a native of Iowa but grew up in a large extended family. I, much like Mr. Mishra and all of us, especially from large families, have to play a large number of roles: as a son, a father, a husband, a brother, a cousin, a son-in-law, a professor, a friend, and so on. Also given that my wife is from India (we have been married for 16 years), I live quite happily in two worlds — one Indian and one American (Irish and German-American). Our daughter reflects this fact with an Indian first name (Krishna) and a European surname (Marmé). Perhaps for an American who grew with little sense of their family's history, hasn't traveled, and was raised in a small suburban nuclear family it might be different. My point is that the dichotomy posed is too easy.
As far as limited aspirations, the irony of two middle class people talking about limiting one's wants when a sizeable fraction of India's population (and the world's) lives at or near the poverty line is nothing short of shameful. No mental adjustment will or can erase the pain a father, uncle, mother, sister, and so on can feel for a sick and dying child. Perhaps when clean water is universal and infant mortality is not so obscenely high such a discussion won't seem as callous.
It is a fact of life that what we do and how effective it is depends on what others do. It would be lovely if I could divorce myself from the rest of the world but this is not the case. The poor family in a country such as India that sends their children to work rather than school is making a decision that makes perfect sense. The reason for this is simple: if no one else sends their children to school the overall capacity of the economy will remain unchanged, the opportunities for employment unchanged and in the end, all the family has done has been to forego the income that is so vital to merely survive. This is but one example that runs through modern social theory, much of it being developed by "Easterners" that points to how the benefits to ourselves and society of the decisions we take are contingent.
The West and the East are not two separate spheres. Among many works you might read is Hobson's Eastern Origins of Western Civilization. He draws attention to the influence of Chinese thought on Quesnay (dubbed in his lifetime as the French Confucius) who was a tremendous influence on Smith. Perhaps, like the compass, textile technology, blast furnaces, gunpowder, our numbering system, and a million other things there is a line that can be drawn from the historically much more important East to what was until the last 200-300 years the cultural, political, and economic backwater of western Europe and Smith's Theory of Moral Sentiments.
Chris Marmé
De Witt, IA (WSUI, 910 AM)
Connecting This Program to the Dalai Lama (January 29, 2006)
By coincidence, just before listening to this program this morning I had read about the World Christian Community's three-day 2005 Way of Peace event with the Dalai Lama in Belfast. I have work to do to take in both these presentations. Then I would find it interesting to look at some reply to many of the comments on this Web site that I also read this morning. I believe there is an important message for us today as we strive for true peace and justice for all.
Elizabeth Carpentier
Alton, IL (KWMU, 90.7 FM)
Buddha in Today's World (January 29, 2006)
We are frequent listeners of NPR and we like almost all programs. In today's On Being, Mr. Pankaj Mishra compared BJP and Al-Qaeda is not right as BJP is a political group, and did a great job in India during the last eight years. It should be noted that BJP was replaced by the Congress party in India in a democratic way. Thank you.
Jay Pathak
Drexel Hill, PA (WHYY, 91.0 FM)
How to Have World Peace (January 29, 2006)
Krista's interview with Pankaj Mishra made clear how the teachings of the Buddha are relevant today. I am one who is impassioned about peace in the world, have marched in Washington and Georgia, and helped to organize marches and various activities in my own town. But this urgent and vital question, "How do we live? How can we have world peace?" was best answered in the implications of Mishra's book. How radical! How exciting! How hopeful! It is not through endless (and often meaningless and useless) contacts with our senators and representatives, but rather how we conduct ourselves in everyday life, what we do with our own conflicts and desires. Because it is unrestrained and unexamined outta control desire that leads to war (and overconsumption, destruction of the planet, exploitation of others, etc). In other words, hoping to effect change from outer sources is less effective than working deeply with one's own mind. The intersection and examination of sociology/world politics and the Dhamma is something I've found lacking in every writing on each subject, and it is that which makes his book most exciting and relevant. And hopefully a beacon suggesting another direction for world "development." Thank you Mr. Mishra for such an inspiring work!
Anna Fisher
East Lansing, MI (WUOM, 91.7 FM)
Two Questions (January 29, 2006)
I'm a 14-year-old student from Sri Lanka. I have two questions about Buddhism: When Buddhism is practiced in our modern lives, doesn't the real and true meaning of it change? Also, would you refer to Buddhism as a religion or a philosophy? And why?
Chamila Kannangara
Farmington, MI (WUOM, 91.7 FM)
Unchecked Desire (January 28, 2006)
After reflecting on this program, I have the following comments: Is it true that one of the differences between man and animals is hoarding? What would the world be without man's hoarding? Neither capitalism nor Communist Marxism was able to solve the problem! The enlightening thoughts of the Buddha are great. But the answer perhaps lies in the teachings and the exemplary life of Jesus Christ, God and Man, who chose to be born into poverty and died as a misunderstood man on the cross. Thanks.
Chinh Pham
Springfield, PA (WHYY, 91.0 FM)
Reinventions of Faith (January 28, 2006)
Now in my mid-60s, I find I am continually returning to old springs of knowledge and inspiration. Being raised Protestant Christian, in college I studied world comparative religions for broader insights into my faith heritage. Taking the philosophical best from each like many in those days, I synthesized a practical process for growing my own religion.
In my 40s, the teachings of childhood brought me back to an essentially Christian cosmology but with room for elements of other doctrines. Like Solomon and Buddha, I saw the futility of governmental, economic, and religious systems to create happiness and began to dig deeper into the teachings of Jesus for his own people and for his times. It seems impossible to grasp the value of any doctrine without the context of the historic foundations and subsequent development. Thus, I returned back to before the place I began. I began a serious study of Judaism and Torah to understand Christianity and the gospels. "Nothing new" in the world, but all is new for me. I find myself saying of all faiths, "Yes, of course; it was there all along."
Daniel Griffith
Merritt Island, FL (WMFE, 90.7 FM)
Expected More Insights (May 23, 2005)
This is a fascinating subject to me. I was disappointed in not coming away from the program with a sense of methods of how to implement the teachings of Buddha in our Western world. There was an expectation that there may be a path here but no "Ah Ha." Mr. Mishra's own comments were the weakest in this respect. I will listen to more online to see if these insights hit the cutting room floor. How about follow-ups on: the understanding on how we can control our suffering, what actions we can take, the likely results for ourselves and our communities, the functioning of "primitive" communities that are being broken down by globalization. What are the positives and negatives in the functioning of these communities?
Henry Swayze
Tunbridge, VT (Listens via Web Audio)
The Four Dimensions (May 6, 2005)
I appreciated hearing your wise, gentle guest. One caveat
I offer regarding taking individual responsibility instead
of relying on social means: traditional transcendence,
whether Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, etc., has often
been concerned with personal transcendence with little
emphasis on a connection with the world. There can be
a tendency for quietism, navel gazing, or complacency.
The title of the book, Buddha in the World, implies
a relation. To be fully a responsible conscious being,
it's incumbent to be connected to four dimensions of
human consciousness: 1) the "I" (personal dimension),
2) the "us", "we" dimension (interpersonal), 3) the "it" dimension
(knowledge, the environment, truth) and 4) the universe
(the spiritual, transcendent dimension).
To be fully human is to be conscious and connected to the four dimensions to maintain harmony and balance in all dimensions. We seem to have evolved in the development of our race where the "I" dimension, the ego, has become overly emphasized to the detriment and peril of the very existence of the human race. It seems dire that we as a race play catch up with spiritual development of the kind which would counter the over-emphasis on ego. Traditional spiritual teaching, including much of organized religion, is mainly involved with translating, interpreting "sacred" teaching. It seems religion would serve humankind better to be transmitting the cultivation of personal transcendence, instilling values which preclude war, murder, exploitation of others and the natural world, and all the ills we now are stuck with. Let us pray that we humans may collectively find the Spirit which connects us to our true selves.
Frank Luke
Honolulu, HI (KIPO, 89.3 FM)
The Problem with Progress (May 4, 2005)
This was one of the best programs I've heard on your show. The problem with "progress" is that all change exists within a subcontext of a non-changing natural order. But, part of that natural order is the emergence of change. There can be no progression without conservation against which to compare it. There can be no conservation without progression against which to compare it.
The balance of these two forces will always win out over
time. The challenge for us in this culture is to determine
whether we want to engage ourselves consciously in learning
this lesson, or whether we are going to let the system
correct us by force. We are attempting to force nature
to bend in ways it cannot bend, so nature cannot help
but fight back.
This program addressed some excellent points about the situation in Kashmir that can be applied to other contexts. The problem with one group claiming that it is
liberating another, by force, is that the other will always harbor some resentment. This does not mean force should never be used, but we should spend a great deal
of time examining the reasons why places like Kashmir turn into the situations they are in and adjust our behaviors as appropriate to avoid propagating them in other areas.
Josh Gough
Atlanta, GA (WABE, 90.1 FM)
Too Dismissive of Western Civilization (May 3, 2005)
Your Indian guest last Sunday was a turnoff. I couldn't stand his smugness, so I stopped listening. His lumping Napoleon, Alexander the Great, and Hitler into the same category of "mass murderers" betrays an extreme view of history that became unlistenable when he dismissed totally the entire culture of Western civilization. I mean, what has his native country, India, accomplished so far? Why do so many like him are falling all over themselves to learn English and move to the West?
John Likides
Brooklyn, NY (WNYC, 820 AM)
Modern Day Buddhas (May 2, 2005)
I enjoyed your program with the writer Mishra, particularly your discussion of what many consider to be difficult truths and ideas about human experience. You inspired me to take a second look at my own experience and to study more of the commentaries that were mentioned by Mishra regarding human enlightenment and the human condition. As a student of Buddhism for many years, I was surprised that your program didn't discuss meditation (or if you did discuss it, I missed it!). I mention this because the Buddha's message was always tied to experiencing everyday life through meditation. He emphasized this because, within meditation, all things
are possible, but without cultivating this openness nothing is possible and the world appears as suffering, confusion, aggression, and all the rest.
I hope that in the future you will engage several modern day Buddhas such as Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche, or Kenchen Thrangu Rinpoche (and there are many others). It may sound strange to mention present-day human beings as Buddhas, but in my experience this is ordinary in the sense that for thousands of years human beings have transmitted and accomplished the teachings of the Buddha, hence there are many "awakened ones" and their power is simply the ability to transmit complete sanity directly and fully to anyone who is open to it. Enjoyed your show very much!
David Cushman
Barre, VT (WVPS, 107.9 FM)
Is Wanting to Be a Professional Singer Desire? (May 1, 2005)
I really enjoyed this SOF, but sometimes it is hard to be reminded of how selfish we are. Mishra (and Buddha) say that it is our endless quest for "things" be it money, fame, love, or power is what makes us unhappy. By the time you have something, you will have already decided that you need something else or something more. The only way to true happiness is to eliminate desire.
No, I am not 100 percent behind this philosophy, but I do agree with a lot of it. I have a hard time believing that I should have zero desire. That I should not want to pursue my dreams, for me that is being a singer. Does this make me a bad person because I would love to be able to support myself as a singer? Maybe if I stepped over other people in my way. Maybe if I only wanted it so I could be famous or rich. Maybe if it took priority over everyone in my family. Maybe then it would be bad, and all consuming and lead to unhappiness. I don't however agree that I need to give up all desire.
I do feel that as a country in particular we value things over experience. We say "I need that new _______" rather than saying "I want to spend time with my
family, community." I think if we look at life not as a competition to have the best things, but rather being able to look back at your life and being able to say "I was able to experience life."
Lea Anderson
Brooklyn Center, MN (KNOW, 91.1 FM)
Out of the Material World (May 1, 2005)
I was delighted by today's program, the first of SoF
I have heard. Krista's interviewing skills are consummate,
and Mishra comments are fascinating. I am grateful to
have found this program on the very day that I chose
not to attend my regular faith-based service. You have
brought to me a new avenue of knowledge into the very
questions I am most concerned with — our moral obligations
to ourselves and fellow men, our perception of the world
around us and the inevitable transition in progress that
will lead human society out of the material world and
into the spiritual one.
One note: the teachings of Buddha suggest that most human suffering is born of passion. I find this hard to reconcile in a world that insists that it is only passion that makes life interesting. Thank you all for your excellent work; you make the process of thinking a learning fun!
Rich Cook
Santa Monica, CA (KPCC, 89.3 FM)
Relevance of Buddha (April 30, 2005)
As a self-proclaimed Agnostic with a growing interest in Buddhism, the program, "The Buddha in the World," provided me with an abundance of relevant information to my life and the world's society. Although the whole interview with Pankaj Mishra was intriguing, three main portions of the program stuck out to me. These program portions include Mishra's focus on the situation of Tibetan torture, the idea that Western operations is the only correct way of doing things, and the religious conflicts in the world, (ex. Kashmir region).
Although I feel as though I've been partially ignorant
of the Eastern religious situations in the world, there's
a sense of sadness that exists within me though. The
first real exposure I had to the turmoil in Tibet was
in the viewing of the movie, Seven Years in Tibet.
Funny how such an entertainment medium can provide a
young American with such knowledge, but it did occur.
However, at the end of the movie, one is exposed to the
treatment of the Tibetans at the hands of the communist
Chinese. For example, one of the movie's scenes depict
a group of monks laying out a mural-like art piece on
the floor by hand-laying beads. Instead of admiring the
art, the Chinese officials just stomps over the art.
This scene shows the disrespectful nature of the Chinese
government towards Tibet, which still occurs to this
day. But as Mishra explains, these Tibetan victims of
Chinese torture don't show any signs of hatred or anger.
Instead, these victims show compassion for those who
tortured them. As Mishra describes this experience, "…it's
a very vivid one, of how you can train your mind to experience
things in a particular way." Furthermore,
Mishra explains how the reaction of the Tibetans is hard
for Westerners to understand, partially due to the importance
of the ego. And I would have to agree with Mishra on
this conclusion because I know that it would be hard
for me to feel complete forgiveness and compassion for
those who were torturing me. Although it would be hard
task, my ultimate goal in that situation would to have
the reactions of the Tibetans. This is why I felt such
a connection with this program portion, it represents
what one should strive for in their personal character.
The Western dominance in the world has been amplified
by the rise of globalization and capitalism. To many
people, including Americans, the American society seems
flawless. However, when taking a deeper look, one can
see its flaws, as Mishra points out. As Mishra states, "…there's
a lot of confusion" and "the fact of power obscures the
failures." The last quote that I just wrote grabbed my
attention the most. The notion that it proposes is very
apparent in a society where negative things do occur,
even if they're not recognized. For example, the United
States is a highly successful country but it's accomplished
that by sacrificing and exploiting certain members of
society. As a society, we have failed at providing adequate
services for the poor and helping fund social programs
in poor countries, such as Africa, etc. These failures
don't make the front page or are in the consciousness
of most Americans as much as all the good things that
American society has done. The quote by Mishra, "the
fact of power obscures the failures" also gives individuals
the opportunity to take it one step further and reexamine
it to their own lifestyle.
The last portion of the program that I found to be memorable
was how Western ideology is affecting particular regions
of the world. The area that Mishra uses as an example
of this is Kashmir. The region of Kashmir was most notable
in the past of its beauty but now is known for its religious
and political instability. One physical example of the
religious turmoil that exists in the area (besides the
number of deaths), is the destruction of the statue of
Buddha by the Taliban. Mishra primarily blames this social
unrest to the effort of India to become a unified country.
As Mishra states, it was an attempt to "modernize Kashmir" and
this kind of pressure led to an defensive-like climate
to the region. People started to take arms and this act
was supported by the radical religious groups. An excerpt
from An End of Suffering details this idea more: "Having
lost the protection of their old moral order, their particular
bonds and forms of authority, they hoped to stave off
chaos and degeneration by joining such authoritarian
movements as Hindu nationalism and radical Islam, by
surrendering their dreams to demagogues like Bin Laden." According
to Mishra, the quickly developing countries need to look
at a different approach on how to relate to one another,
that's not necessarily the Western capitalism. I strongly
agree with Mishra's conclusion to this problem cause
I feel that what works for America, works for all. These
regions have a lot more history and culture for this
kind of "radical" change to occur overnight.
Once again, I found this program especially enlightening.
All the key points that Mishra brought up had relevance
in modern society. I loved how he didn't necessarily
focus on the religious context of Buddhism as much as
how it can be integrated into the social aspect of life.
This move, I believe, reduced the amount of alienation
that might occur when listening to a religious program.
Overall, this program was one of my top two picks of
the SOF presentations.
Linda Hartman
Plymouth, MN (KNOW, 91.1 FM)
Awesome Show (April 28, 2005)
I don't know if my past message spurred you to do this particular show. All I know is that this was awesome. I enjoyed the program, and the interview cleared
up a lot of questions that I had after reading An End to Suffering. It certainly helped me digest certain tidbits and ideas from the book that I had not previously considered. I thank you for a stellar presentation.
Peter Wung
St. Louis, MO (KWMU, 90.7 FM)
Does Wanting and Acquiring
Make Us Happy? (April 28, 2005)
This show brought up some interesting points about Western society and its endless quest for money, power, and progress. According to Mishra, and of course Buddha, none of these things will ever bring us happiness. It seems there is an endless cycle of wanting, getting, and wanting again. For example, I could say that the one thing that would make me happy is to own a house, and that once I own a house I will realize happiness. However, I would soon find that once I own the house, the wanting does not end — not even close. By the time we acquire one thing (as Mishra pointed out), we have already moved on to wanting the next. Owning a house may temporarily pacify me, but then I would want more. Perhaps a better house, a pool in the back yard, a new car, etc.
The simple fact of getting what we want can also further us from reaching happiness. Going back to wanting and getting a house, once I have it I will put additional worry and effort into safeguarding this important possession. Every time a tornado heads my direction I will be tortured with worry that it will destroy the one thing I have worked so hard to acquire. In the end, as Buddha argued, the only way to eliminate suffering and reach happiness is to eliminate desire. This is the realization that constant want and acquisition will never bring contentment.
Deonna Follano
Minneapolis, MN (KNOW, 91.1 FM)
