MacDonald, Rony Tan, Religious Harmony and Sensitive People

The Internal Security Department (ISD) has called up Pastor Rony Tan of Lighthouse Evangelism in connection with his comments and insinuations about Buddhism and Taoism at his church sessions.

By intervening in this case, the Singapore government had made a mistake. The religious fault lines exist long before Singapore. Trying to manage these religious fault lines is like trying to manage the tectonic fault lines that cause earthquake.

When the Singapore government acted on behalf of sensitive people to call up Rony Tan, more sensitive people will be created. Now that sensitive Buddhist can complain about Rony Tan, can sensitive Christians complain about Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code" and get it banned? What about the book "Jesus Prophet of Islam" by Muhammad Ata-ur-Rahman/Ahmad Thomson? Can this be banned too?

When MacDonald Restaurant took care of the feelings of the sensitive Muslims by replacing the pig in the Chinese Zodiac with Cupid, it offended the feelings of some sensitive Chinese. Fortunately most Chinese are insensitive to religion.

The correct way would be to manage the sensitive people so as to reduce their number. Those who complained against Rony Tan should be counselled to understand the fault lines of the major religions of Singapore. If everybody becomes sensitive, then nobody can talk. Every word will be an offence to someone.

There should be a Religious Harmony session among the different religions to emphasise on their difference and how to manage the criticisms of each other. Some formula could be agreed upon, for example, to allow criticisms of another religion, as long as it is based on the teachings of that religion. To deny that these differences exist is to deny reality.

All the religions should know how the other religions would criticise them and accept it as part of that religion and promise not to incite violence against the religions that do not accept their views.

Please don't try to manage religious fault lines by stopping criticisms. It won't work. It builds up pressure for a bigger earthquake at a later date.

Bodhi (Enlightenment) and Nirvana

What is enlightenment? What is nirvana? Sidhartha Gautama attained bodhi (enlightenment) after meditating for forty nine days under a pipal tree (which became the bodhi tree) at the age of thirty five and became Buddha. He grew old, got sick, died and achieved nirvana at the age of eighty.
Superficially, bodhi means one who is awake and nirvana is the end of suffering. The Buddhist theology has more complicated and deeper definition of both terms and also depends on whether it is Theravada or Mahayana tradition.

Buddha alive today, if Ananda was not so dumb

Buddha could have lived till the end of the world, had Ananda not been so dumb. In the Mahāparinibbāna Sutta, Buddha told Ananda, "Whosoever, Ananda, has developed, practiced, employed, strengthened, maintained, scrutinized, and brought to perfection the four constituents of psychic power could, if he so desired, remain throughout a world-period or until the end of it. The Tathagata, Ananda, has done so. Therefore the Tathagata could, if he so desired, remain throughout a world-period or until the end of it." Ananda was supposed to say, "So please stay on for the sake of the world" but he did not, even after Buddha repeated the words two more times. What a nice excuse to die. The one who can, if so desired, remain throughout a world-period or until the end of it, yet cannot, because Ananda did not respond correctly. Stupid Ananda. If you had just opened your mouth, Buddha would have remained till today and we would not have so many religious disputes. Or Buddha would have to find another excuse to explain his death.
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: (Hebrews 9:27 KJV)
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23 KJV)

How Buddha died

Since we are on the subject of Buddha's last words, let us see how Buddha died. In the Mahaparinibbana Sutta, we are told that during one of his preaching tours, Buddha became ill suddenly after he had eaten a special delicacy, sukaramaddava (literally translated as "soft pork") in the house of Cunda Kammaraputta, a blacksmith, at a place called Pava. Some scholars believe it was a special delicious dish of mushrooms or truffles, while others believe it to be a dish of wild boar's flesh. Buddha proceeded on to a small town named Kusinara, but died in at a grove of sala trees just outside the town. Ananda prepared a resting place for him between these two large sala trees. Before he died, he spoke his last words, "Everything is subject to change. Remember to practise the teachings earnestly".

Buddha's last words

Pastor Rony Tan of Lighthouse Evangelism claimed that the dying Buddha's last words was "I am still searching for the way." Actually I think he was just joking. Anyway, for those who are curious, last words of Buddha can be found in Mahāparinibbāna Sutta (大般涅槃經). "Behold, O monks, this is my last advice to you. All component things in the world are changeable. They are not lasting. Work hard to gain your own salvation."

Four men in the Bible who did not see death

There are four men in the Bible who did not see death. Two had already happened, and two are prophesised.

The two that had already happened are Enoch and Elijah.
And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him (Genesis 5:24 KJV).
By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God (Hebrews 11:5 KJV)
And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven (2 Kings 2:11 KJV).
Enoch and Elijah went straight from Earth to Heaven.

The two that are prophesised are the beast and the false prophet.
And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshiped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone (Revelations 19:20 KJV).
The beast and the false prophet went straight from Earth to the lake of fire, the final destiny of all unbelievers.

Tintin and Asterix

While both Tintin and Asterix were both intelligent and resourceful people, Tintin and his friends needed a lot of "luck" to get out of sticky situation. Things are different for Asterix and friends. They always have the magic portion to rely on. Whenever they get into trouble, they just bash their way out.