Christianity and the 5th Disc. LO8983

Jyotsna Pattabiraman (jyots@blr.cybercash.com)
Thu, 8 Aug 1996 11:50:05 +0530

Replying to LO8799 --

Hi !

Just to add some input in response to what I read :

On Thu, 1 Aug 1996, William J. Hobler, Jr wrote:
> John Paul Fullerton posted a deeply felt and well documented comparison
> that closely equates the Fifth Discipline with Christian beliefs. As a
> Christian I am uncomfortable with the post, perhaps it is my problem.
>
> My discomfort is rooted in awareness that the five disciplines can be
> found in all major religious and philosophies. In fact the Eastern
> religions probably place more emphasis on self mastery than does Christian
> practice or thought.
>
> I would like the subject of this thread widened to seek parallelisms with
> Hindu, Buddhism, and Islamic thought. IMO this would add richness and
> value to this thread and to an understanding of the human journey
> envisioned in the Fifth Discipline.

Since I am one of the few Hinudus in this list, which I presume consists
predominantly of Christians, I will try to add my own viewpoint...

One of the charecteristics of Hindusim is that it is a vast and huge
relegion, only partially identified with the Hindu holy books such as the
Vedas. I find that the soul of Hindusim is tolerance for other ways of
thought and the search for the truth.

Although the perception is that the eastern relegions place a lot of
emphasis on personal mastery --- which is probably true if any relegion is
practised in its undiluted form --- the way that most Hindus live is once
again a personal choice and not once that is taught by relegion.

Although Michael sent a very thought provoking mail about his friend
Abdullah, I would caution against thinking of Abdullah as a sort of
template for all other Muslims. The way Abdullah lives is his own
interpretation of the Islamic law just as the way I live is my own
interpretation of Hinduism. Most of the muslims I meet are just like any
other people and their interpretation of the relegion does not seem to be
directing them toward mastery, rather it is their own dirve and will that
pushes them.

I think it is appropriate to add that I was also slightly put-off by the
statement since I heard it as being slightly patronising-

>They are into learning as much as any of the rest of us are.

I like to think that every group of human beings is into learning and the
unspoken assumption that only a certain, superior relegion promotes
learning. Moslems , Hindus, Buddhists, and Jews are all into learning.I
guess it should be no surprise that Muslims focus on mastery, too. The
urge to learn as old as mankind itself and no-one has a patent on it !

I am not criticising anyone, just bringing into the open something that
was in the unsaid. I think that most of you would have just skimmed by
this statement, but I was totally hooked by it, because I'm sure that I
don't belong to the same relegion as most of the people on this list.

Bis spaeter...
Jyotsna

-- 

Jyotsna Pattabiraman <jyots@blr.cybercash.com>

Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>