Is Prostration Along the Highways Safe?
I know what I am going to share
would definitely attract criticisms from you all and you may even accuse me of
being Anti-Buddhist. I have been pondering over this decision for quite some
time and eventually I made my bravest decision to share my view against the new
religious trend of prostrations along our highways.
First and foremost, let me
clarify my readers that I am in fact a very practical and rational Buddhist. My
parents are Buddhist, my family members are all Buddhist and there is no
question about my faith. I follow the teachings of Buddha especially that
dwells on four immeasurable or limitless. I believe that true Buddhism is being
humane and living in harmony with the humanity. Hence, what I share here does
not indicate any intention of blasphemy against Buddhism or my disrespect to
those who prostrate along the highways.
Firstly, my readers must know
that the prostration along the road is neither a religious culture nor
traditional practice in our country. Even the road came to Bhutan only in the
late 60s and early 70s and this in itself tells us that Prostration along the
road is not a traditional trend. It came into vogue in 2008 when a man started
his historic prostration from Phuntsholing till Paro. He attracted both media
and social attention and gradually some people started to follow him in suit.
Now, more and more people are coming to the roads for prostration and the most
famous incident of prostration was the one initiated by a group of civil servants
in the recent week from Paro till Thimphu. I am sure that many more in future
will come to the roads for prostrations but the question we need to ask is- is
it a healthy trend for our roads that see inexorable rise in traffic
congestions every year?
It takes so much of courage and
devotion to prostrate along the roads for tedious hours against the odds of
weathers. Only the brave and highly devoted souls would be able to do that and
there is doubt about it. If I am not wrong, one of the sole purposes of
prostration along the roads is to cleanse one’s defilements and shed sins. It
is like the cliché that there is no gain without pain and of course it may be
true. I have no complaint against those who prostrate in front of stupas,
statues, monasteries, temples and shrines because they neither risk their lives
nor that of other people who drive along the roads.
In a recent time when the group
was prostrating along the Paro-Thimphu highway, vehicles had to be slowed down
when they near the group prostrating by the road. You and I know that
especially when we are in hurry or on move to attend some emergencies, we often
have to rush at high speed. During such time, there is a higher probability
that we may either hit those who prostrates or have to dodge from them that may
put us at danger. In either ways, lives are at stake.
You know, when the group approached the
flyover bridge in Thimphu, there was a media personnel with a video camera, who
was actually covering the group prostrating along the express highway. A long
queue of vehicles had to slow down suddenly for the safety purpose. If it was
for one time, I am sure that the commuters would accept the situation but if
such trend goes on, I don’t think our people who are generally aggressive would
have that patience to tolerate the similar situations. I believe that media,
too has the responsibility not just to present the positive sides of the
prostration and glorify the deeds of those who prostrate along the express
highway but also to present the grave risk entailed both for those who
prostrates and road users.
Prostrations along the roads
involve infliction of pain to self as well as pose risk to those who drive
along the roads. Buddha never taught us the cleansing of defilement, sins and
accumulation of merits through self-torture. He tried the practice of
asceticism leading a life on just few grains of rice but it never worked out
for him. He eventually gave up and got new insight into his practice so called
the middle-path. The middle path for those who prostrates along the highways
could be prostrating in their shrines, temples, around stupas and other holy
sites but definitely not on the roads.
I sense this approach as a sheer
act of ignorance and lack of proper reasoning. If higher accumulations of
merits demand such harsher practices, I would suggest them to prostrate along
the trekking and hiking trails in the country so that they won’t have much
disturbance to our smooth flow of traffic and the safety of the road users
won’t be compromised while they can actually have unhindered prostrations along
the trials. There won’t be any people who would occasionally stop by them and
waste their precious time of prostration with their chats and banter. Further,
they can also prevent people like me who would look it from the other side of
the coin and instead of appreciation, darts at them the critical comments on
the potential risks entailed for the general public.
I know, in general, we are
inveigled by our dogmatic Buddhist views and it will be difficult for me to
convince you with my socially beneficial views, which contradict your blindly
inherited religious dogma. I am told that my criticisms against our religious
fallacies would de-merit my virtuous deeds and I would be doomed in my next
life. I guess I deserve that but I take my firm stance and dare to question the
creators that doing something without proper thinking and understanding won’t
deliver the worst nightmare in our next life. My part is to throw views for
social safety but it is your discretion to decide on my opinion.
Finally, I plead with
the authorities concerned to kindly give a second thought on this rising trend
of prostration along the highways. If we encourage such trends, I am sure there
would be more and more people who would come to the roads to prostrate and accumulate
good karma.
Source:
Every View Counts
Author:
Kuenden Valiant
