The Paths are Many...

or, Nepal III. 

There are times in life, so I hear, when understandings, questions, and answers pop into your head in a way that makes it seem as if it might explode. The two days spent in Nepal's ancient capital provided me with so many of these moments that I began to wonder if I knew anything at all. 

I read an academic volume on Hinduism while on the planes and buses than took us around Nepal, and it occurred to me that it is much different than I thought. They do, incidentally, worship any number of the gods and goddesses that pervade their intricate mythology. However, these wild, pagan, multi-armed entities are merely incarnations of a singular, supreme being- Brahaman. Since Brahaman is unknowable and unfathomable to the human mind, worshiping his incarnations is simply easier on the human psyche. For this reason, Mohammad, Jesus, and other founders of major religions are worshiped alongside Shiva, Ganesh, and Krishna. Hindu rituals and stories in some respects parallel so closely those of Judaism and Christianity that you wonder if it's really any coincidence at all. And while I prefer my own two-armed incarnation of God, it is astounding that two religions that, on their face, are so wildly different can be so strikingly similar. 

The two Buddhist stupas we visited are both are UNESCO World Heritage Sites whose history dates back to the 700s AD. Throughout the entire temple area, Tibetan monks are reciting the mantra "Om Mane Padme Hum". There is no direct translation of this phrase; it is the summation of all of the Buddha's teachings, as well as the sacred mantra of samsara, the circle of life and reincarnation. The stupa is the most peaceful place I have ever been. Everywhere there are people meditating, monks chanting, incense burning, and a quiet realization that peace comes from within. 

So being exposed to two completely new religions on their turf made me realize how wrong it is to assert one religion as superior to another. We're all interconnected- back to the very beginning. In the words of our own god of Public Health, Paul Farmer: "equity, then, is the only acceptable goal".