By Fabian Lyngdoh
Religions still play a vital role in all social systems of the world even today in the twenty first century. Hence, a discussion on religion is ever relevant for understanding social movements and social problems. I had written with good intention according to my own knowledge and belief some articles about religion in general and Khasi religion in particular. Hence, I neither need to apologise for having written them, nor resort to apologetics to defend the views they expressed. But I have the pleasure to add a few more words to enliven a good discussion.
An article in a newspaper is meant for general reading, and not intended as an academic treatise and also very rarely used as academic referencing material. Moreover, it is not a legal document embodied with the force of law. So, there is nothing to be apprehended that an article in the news paper could ever have the authority to undermine the right of the followers of any religion to practise their faith with dignity. When the apostles were persecuted for preaching about the risen Christ, Gamaliel, a Pharisee and respectable teacher of the law said, “I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fall. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourself fighting against God (Acts, 5: 35-39). No amount of persecution, discrimination, or criticism can put an end to any religious faith if it is relevant to the social and spiritual needs of the people of any community.
Likewise, if what is written in my articles is false, then all the academic criticism given to it is a waste of time. But, if what had been written is the truth, then no amount of academic analysis and criticism would make it false. It would be unfortunate if the ideas of Khasi thought expressed in my articles are contrary to the ideas that someone had expressed or taught in some University. But at the same time, there is no rationale for someone to expect me to write within the confines of someone’s thought or the scope of someone’s academic profession.
There is something mysterious about religion, and scientific methodology is not sufficient to explain the great mystery of human life in the entire system of things, unless we presume that religion, though wearing a spiritual and eternal garment, is only a social institution, the purpose of which is only to serve the society. The concept of spiritual wellbeing does not only mean emotional and sentimental wellbeing as generally understood in worldly parlance. The seeker of spiritual truth ascends and synthesizes the varieties of nature into absolute unity through spiritual realization, and sees reality as one. The scientist, on the other hand, descends and analyses nature to the basic particles and waves to see and understand it in its infinite varieties. Empirical experience suggests that both views are true from different perspectives. Religion has always been experienced and practiced by human beings in its social and spiritual aspects.
Scholarly interest concerns mostly with the social aspect of religion. Emile Durkheim viewed religion as a social fact and analysed the social factors responsible for the growth and development of religion, as well as its influence. According to him, the idea of society is the soul of religion, and that, religion has no other basis except the society. Defining religion in terms of its social functions, he said that it is a unified system of beliefs and rituals with reference to sacred things which bind people together into one single moral community. Durkheim opined that the collective power assumed the form of supernatural or divine power and it became the symbol of God, and there is nothing in divinity more than society transfigured and conceived symbolically. It was the collective actions that form what is sacred and what is profane, and God is nothing but the controlling power of the tribe or the clan.
The practitioners of religions, on the other hand, generally understand it as a phenomenon fundamentally concerned with the spiritual order. According to the Vedantists, the true self is different from the body and different from the mind. Instead of seeing God, we see this universe as many names and forms which we believe to be real. In a state of transcendental consciousness or perfect divine union which the Hindus call ‘samadhi’, the illumined soul has no more ego as his ego has merged with the Godhead, and realized his oneness with God and with all beings. When he returns to a lower plane of consciousness he is again aware of his individuality. Religion, therefore, is primarily a matter of direct spiritual experience. We are tied by the fetters of ignorance and live under the spell of ‘maya’ or the veiling power of Brahman, which makes the absolute appear as the universe of many names and forms. It is the worship of God, the impersonal-personal ‘Existence’ in and through the incarnation that can release human beings from the spell of ‘maya’.
Hence, from the spiritual aspect, social function is not the fundamental purpose of religion but is only its corollary. Jesus said to his disciples, “As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world” (John, 15: 19). He also said that his kingdom (religion) is not of this world (John, 18: 36). Jesus taught his disciples not to store up for themselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break and steal, but to store up their treasures in heaven (Matthew, 6: 19-20). He rebuked Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God (spiritual wellbeing), but the things of men (social utility).” He then said that whoever wants to be his disciple, must shun vain pursuit of material achievements and social honour and take up his cross of sufferings and social condemnation and follow him; for whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for the spiritual kingdom will find it. It would be futile if man gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul (Matthew, 16: 23-250). Jesus also said that if the hands or the feet cause a man to sin, he should cut them off; and if an eye causes him to sin, he should pluck it out. It is better for him to enter life maimed and crippled or one-eyed than whole and be thrown into hell (Mark, 9: 43-47).
In relation with society, Jesus said to his disciples, “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand and it gives light to everyone in the house – In the same way let your light shine before men (Matthew, 5: 14-16). Jesus did not intend that the values and norms of the society should guide his church, but rather it is the ideals and values of the spiritual kingdom that should shape the society through the agency of his disciples. It is not the church that should make itself relevant to the society, but rather it is the mission of the church to make the society relevant to the ideals and values of the spiritual kingdom of love and peace. Therefore, the question whether there is a need to re-evaluate Christianity in line with particular social standards, is better left to the judgment of the church leaders; it is not a concern of sociologists or anthropologists.
The social aspect of the Khasi religion concerning with the social order is found in the community religion in the raid or hima, which even included human sacrifices as those practised in Raid Ïapngar, Raid Thaïang and Raid Bhoilasa. The spiritual aspect is found in the clan religion. But in both cases, the foundation of the clan is indispensible. Without the clans there can be no syiem, daloi, lyngdoh, sohblei, sohsla, no altar, etc., and hence, no religion.
Our views of religion would correspond to the stress we give either to its social aspect, or spiritual aspect. To maintain a worldly kingdom, religion as a social institution commands, “Prepare for war! Rouse the warriors! Let all the fighting men draw near and attack. Beat your ploughshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears” (Joel, 3: 9-10). But to establish a heavenly kingdom of love and peace, religion as a spiritual institution proclaims, “They will beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore” (Isaiah, 2: 4).