Christ, Buddha & a Bihari monk from Munger

Tradition has it that the Buddha went to the town of Bhaddiya (modem Munger) accompanied by 1,25O monks. The richest merchant there requested the Lord to accept his offerings. Buddha accepted Mendaka Shresthi's bhiksha [offerings of alms] and taught the Dharma to all at his house. A few days later, when the Buddha went to Angutharapa, a town north of the river Ganga, Shresthi followed him with hundreds of milch cows in order to serve him and the Sangha [congregation of monks]. The monks refused the milk, since the Buddha had forbidden milk to the Sangha. The Lord, however, seeing the devotion of his disciple, permitted the Bhikkhus to drink milk, and after their lunch assembled the entire Sangha and pronounced major changes in their monastic rule. From then onwards, monks were permitted to accept milk, curds, yoghurt, buttermilk butter, and ghee. They were to be allowed to carry food for their survival while sojourning in forests, but not gold and silver.

Like Mendaka Shresthi, Rev. Shree N. Singh has been a catalyst for many processes currently occuring in Himalayan Buddhism. Currently resident at Munger, his ancestral home, where he also heads the Dr. Ambedkar Bodhi Kunja Foundation, Singh is a prolific writer, thinker, and social activist well known in Sikkim, Bodh Gaya, and the United States. He is a vocal campaigner for the greater participation of Buddhists of non-Tibetan origin in the Himalayan Buddhist Church. The four main branches of Himalayan (also called Vajrayana Buddhism) are the Nyigma, Sakya, Kagyu, and Gelug. Singh was ordained a monk in the Kagyu tradition by H.H. the XVIth. Gyalwang Karmapa in Bauddhanatha [Kathmandu, Nepal] in 1976. He later returned his monastic vows and continues his ministry as a householder priest.

His association with the XVIth. Gwalyang Karmapa has led him to campaign extensively for the recognition of his “true" incarnation, and his criticism of the Dalai Lama, head of the Gelug sect, makes him a controversial figure in Tibetan circles. In this context, his latest book Buddhism and Christianity -A comparative study published by the Dr. Ambedkar Bodhi Kunja Foundation, Munger is an evocative study of the catholicism of two great masters: the Buddha and Christ.

The book contains a revealing section on the precepts of the Triyana --the Hinayana, Mahayana, and Vajrayana, which is useful for those interested in Buddhism. For the reader familiar with the Christian and Buddhist traditions, the book opens up new avenues for discussion with every paragraph. Singh effortlessly glides from one tradition to another, making a point here, a comparison there. For example, here is how Singh deals with the Biblical concept of the immaculate conception:

“To deal initially with the immaculate conception, it needs to be noted that ... the conception of Prince Siddhartha is explained similarly. Tradition maintains that Queen Maya dreamt of a white elephant entering the right side of her womb while she slept, inducing in her a sense of great bliss and well-being. During this process the Bodhisatva came down from his heavenly abode in Tushita to accept his final birth in samsara, the cycle of becoming.”

Singh, who studied Christianity as a student in St. Paul's School, Darjeeling and as a full member of the United Methodist Church in Albuquerque, N.M., USA, was also initiated into the secrets of Reiki -- the secular mystical discipline promoted by, Dr. Usui of Japan. “Those disillusioned by the Christianity of the Western world, may find their efforts rewarded if they were to investigate these other traditions (Eastern Churches, the Syrian Church of South India, and the Nestorian Church -- parentheses mine) to reconcile far themselves their lives in Jesus, rather than reject him outright..." he says in the book.

Besides the comparative study, the book contains a selection of essays, some of which point to volatile issues within the Himalayan Buddhist tradition. In his essay on "Accountability" Singh examines the Guru-disciple relationship. Should not a disciple question a guru over temporal matters -- like the mishandling of funds, he asks. When nepotism within an institution is rampant, it is but natural that it will be considered imperfect, even though it might be headed by the Buddha himself, states the author drawing references from various Buddhist organisations in Nepal, Bihar, and Sikkim.

For those in search of deep alternative reading, this slim 114 page book may provide food for months of thought. Fundamentalists on both sides -- Christians and Tibetan Buddhists -- will doubtless have a field day tearing Singh to pieces. A warning, however, the book (priced at Rs. 70) contains no humorous anecdotes, no sparkling wit. The author addresses the intelligentsia. The book has a tendency to trample over slow running natives who stumble around between the plain white covers.

Frank Krishner

This review was published in The Sunday Times, Patna, Bihar, India, April 21, 1996 under the heading ‘ALTERNATIVES”.

Photograph of Stupa

“Do not disparage other

religions and praise your

own. You will hurt your

own tradition by doing so. "

DHARMARAJA ASHOKA

IN SHAHGADI EDICT