Daily Prompt: Doubters Alert

What commonly accepted truth (or “truth”) do you think is wrong, or at least seriously  doubt? Why?

I would think if someone is guilty of a crime, he/ she will be a criminal forever.This I believe  is a commonly accepted truth.

Iqbal the poet and Philosopher explains how Man possesses the capacity to change, ‘Evil into Good.’

To begin with , we have to recognize that every great religious system starts with certain presuppositions, concerning the nature of Man and the Universe:

1.In Buddhism : it is believed : There is pain in Nature: and Man regarded as an individual , is Evil.

2. Christianity: There is Sin in Nature; and the taint of Sin natural to Man.

3. Zoroastrianism: There is struggle in Nature; Man is the mixture of struggling forces,and is free to range himself on the side of the powers of Good which shall eventually prevail.

The questions now are :1. What is the Muslim view of the Universe and Man; 2. What is the system?

We know Sin, Pain,and Sorrow are constantly mentioned in the Quran.The truth is Islam looks upon the Universe as a reality, consequently recognizes as reality all that is in it.

Sin ,Pain,Sorrow and struggle are certainly real.Islam teaches that Evil is not essential to the universe. The universe can be reformed and the elements of Sin and Evil can be gradually eliminated. All that is in the Universe belongs to God.And the seemingly destructive forces of Nature become sources of life, if properly controlled by Man.

When Man is endowed with so much potential, surely it should be easy for him to transform himself into a good human being.

……………………………… 🙂

 

365 days Writing Prompt: Karma Chameleon

Reincarnation do you believe in it?

Do I believe in,”Reincarnation?” I cannot say yes or no, simply because I don’t know.

I know “Reincarnation” is the religious or philosophical concept that the soul or spirit , after biological death can begin a new life in a new body.

Majority of sects such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam do not believe that individuals reincarnate.

In Latin reincarnation means, “entering the flesh again.”

There is no word in Pali or Sanskrit  which corresponds exactly to rebirth, transmigration or reincarnation.The process  that gives rise to the cycle of death and rebirth  governed by Karma is referred to as “Samsara”.

Samsara is a Sanskrit word which means “a wandering through”.The concept of Samsara is closely associated with the belief that the ignorant person continues to be born and reborn in various realms in the form of a human, animal, or other being, even plants and rocks(depending on Karma) but most philosophic traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism maintain that plants and rocks cannot be included since they lack the possibility of experience(bhoga)and,hence of karma.

Tagore in his song titled “forever me” clearly indicates that he’d be reincarnated , his words,” who says I won’t be there, I will be there  as a new person with a different identity,” which in my mind  means he’d be born again.

Whether I believe in reincarnation is something I did not think of, so I cannot give a definitive answer!

https://sabethville.wordpress.com/2015/02/08/365-days-writi…arma-chameleon/

 

Timeless Quotes from the Buddha

As a mother at the risk of her life

watches over her child,so let everyone

cultivate a boundlessly compassionate

mind towards all living beings.

It is a man’s own mind,

not his enemy or foe,

that lures him to evil ways.

To live a pure unselfish life,

one must count nothing as

one’s own in the midst of abundance.

Hatred does not cease by hatred,

but by love alone; this is an ancient

and eternal law.

It is better to conquer yourself,

than to win a thousand battles.

Then the victory is yours.

It cannot be taken from you,

not by angels or by demons,heaven or hell.

The secret of health for both

mind and body is not to mourn

for the past,worry about the future,

or anticipate troubles,but to live in

the present moment wisely and earnestly.

We are what we think.

All that we are arises with our thoughts.

With our thoughts we make the world.

All things appear and disappear

because of the concurrence of

causes and conditions.

Nothing ever exists entirely alone;

everything is  in relation to everything else.

Believe nothing no matter

where you read it,or who said it,

no matter if I have said it,

unless it agrees with your own reason

and your own common sense.

Even death is not to be feared

by one who has lived wisely.

There are two mistakes one

can make along the road to truth.

not going all the way,and not starting.

I loved the Timeless Quotes from the Buddha and decided to post it.

We have changed our itinerary

Chittagong, Bangladesh (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

English: Entrance to main Tomb of the Shrine of Bayazid Bostami in Chittagong, Bangladesh (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Zia Museum, Lalkhan Bazar, Chittagong, Bangladesh. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Partial tree of Indo-European languages. Branches are in order of first attestation; those to the left are Centum, those to the right are Satem. Languages in red are extinct. White labels indicate categories / un-attested proto-languages. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

English: Chittagong bypass connecting the Chittagong port facilities with N1 through Patenga. বাংলা: চট্টগ্রাম বাইপাস চট্টগ্রাম বন্দরকে পতেঙ্গার মাধ্যমে এন-১ হাইওয়ের সাথে সংযুক্ত করেছে। (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Chittagong Shipbreaking (Photo credit: AdamCohn)

shipbreaking in Bangladesh near Chittagong (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Kaptai Lake, Bangladesh (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

English: Star Mosque, locally known as Tara Masjid (Bangla: তারা মসজিদ), is a mosque located in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It is situated at the Armanitola area of the old part of the city. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Karwan Bazar, one of the most important business centres in Dhaka (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Dhaka travelling by rickshaw (Photo credit: eGuide Travel)

Bengal Tiger (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Jamuna Bridge of Bangladesh is one of the most notable in South Asia. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

English: Agriculture in Bangladesh (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Boat Bangladesh (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A map of the languages spoken in Bangladesh, in English. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I was able to convince Alphie that he should spend some  more time in Bengal.Since Bangladesh is so close to Kol kata,it would be unfair not to go to Bangladesh. Besides it is the country I am from. I didn’t have to say much to convince him.He thought about it.I only said it once and he was happy to change his booking.Gepetto however had a big smile on his face. He was at an age when missing school is a lot of fun.There will be no studies, no cranky teachers,no Principal’s office to visit as punishment.Ranu just made his day.  “I made the right choice by asking for a guide.Life is awesome he thought.”  Ranu thought he was exceptionally quiet,she inquired, “everything okay Gepetto,did I do anything wrong?”  ” Oh no he said,it is fine,I like your change of plans.”

We are going to Dhaka. I will show you my college,it is Holy Cross College,near Kawran Bazaar.After graduating I took admission in Dhaka university.My sister wanted me to take admission in the university after school.I was afraid of the male population.I had heard after the new year,the boys give names to the female students.As I did not want to face it.I decided to spend two years in the Girl’s college.I thought I would be two years older and might be able to deal with it. Dhaka university is the oldest in Bangladesh.There are a lot of universities now.After my education I taught in Residential Model School,Mohammadpur,Dhaka.I was unable to get a picture of my college,therefore I can only say,it was just an ordinary college.Most of our teachers were nuns from the united states.

From Dhaka we decided to visit Chittagong,the second largest city in Bangladesh.It is a port city in southern Bangladesh.It is built on the banks of the Karnaphuli River.It is the country’s busiest seaport.It has a population of over 5.5 million people.It is a trading post since the 9th century.It has a multicultural heritage of Islamic,Hindu and Buddhist traditions.A few parts of Chittagong were developed in the early  twentieth century under the British .The city also became a focal point for revolutionary activities against the British.

Chittagong has attracted people from around the world.The various waves of settlements left a lasting impact on the language and culture of the city.The origins of the people are diverse and multi-ethnic. The most significant contributors to the population are indigenous Tibeto-Burman people and traders and settlers of Arab,Afghan and Mughal origin.They travelled from the North-west many hundreds of years ago.

Lungi or Dhoti are the most common costume for men and Saree for women.Rice and fish are the staple food of the people.Because of its close proximity to the sea, sea food is very popular.vegetables commonly found are: egg plant,flat beans,okra,pumpkins,potatoes, gourds and several others are grown.The main fruits are Jack fruit,coconut,papaya,bananas and other varieties are grown.

The architectural features of Chittagong can be found in mosques,shrines,dargah and other masonry.The most revered shrine is the Bayazid Bostami.He was a Sufi,his birth place was Bostam in Iran. There are several conflicting stories about the saint.Some believe,he actually visited Chittagong. Some 18th century Bengali poets remembered a Shah Sultan of Nasirabad in their poems. Because Bayazid Bostami was also known as Sultan-ul- Arefin, therefore it is believed that the above two are the same man.

Chittagong is a major tourist attraction. Its green hills and forests, its broad sandy beaches and the cool climate always attract the tourists.The people of Chittagong speak Chittagonian,this is believed to be an Indo-European language of the Eastern Indic group.A large number of Arabic words are used in this dialect. Speakers of this dialect consider it a dialect  of standard Bengali,which is the official language of Bangladesh.

Personally speaking the words did not sound like standard Bengali.The first time I visited Chittagong,I could not understand what they were saying.My aunt and I stood in the station looking for a rickshaw driver whom we could understand.We did find one who was from my home town. I always was fascinated by different dialects and languages.I stayed with my mother’s uncle.He and all the members of his family spoke the dialect.I stayed with them for fifteen days and learned the dialect.Whenever they said something I didn’t understand,I would ask what does it mean.This curiosity of mine helped me to learn the dialect.I did not try to teach Gepetto the Chittagonian dialect.He was happy visiting all the places. Cleanliness was an issue,I reminded him he was in a different country to see all the unique things which he will not find in Canada.If he is uncomfortable because the place is not squeaky clean,he will not enjoy his trip.I told him to try to admire the beautiful architecture of the mosques and shrines.Susan seemed to find the two cities interesting.Alphie probably was thinking,when he would be able to go back and try outwitting some other naive fellow,then again I took him to so many religious places,would he try his trick again?Who knows! I thought of all the places I was able to go to,my job as a  guide made it possible.It’s a ‘COOL’ job.

Alphie family are ready to say, Allah Hafiz, May God Be With You!

Scenes of Dhaka, Bangladesh (Photo credit: Wikipedia)