| More and more youngsters are opting for buddhism in a bid to break away from puritanical rituals and doctrines |
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THE FASCINATION for Buddhism fuelled by the likes of Richard Gere has spawned a whole new generation of youngsters who are awakening to Buddhism. Any questions of it being a fad are brushed aside by the young, who are on an intriguing, exhilarating spiritual journey astride a religion that is "rational and practical." Says Tarini Mehta, 21, a university student practising Tibetan Buddhism, "I went for Buddhism as it fitted in. Its not the Brahminical form of Hinduism which says that you have to do something because the scriptures say so."
Materialism and violence
There are other factors too that are giving a tug towards Buddhism. The emptiness of modern materialism and an increasingly violent world are making room for a religion that talks of moderation and compassion. "If you are looking for happiness-you either go for drugs or religion," says Rajiv Mehrotra of the Foundation for Universal Responsibility. Agrees Prashant Varma, 28, a practising Buddhist, "There is a crisis happening in the cities. Everyone wants to slip into a safe haven. There is new-age healing and a twinkling spiritual supermarket to soak into. But there lies the danger, as many people are going in with a lot of expectations without realising that there are no quick solutions." Many youngsters look up to celebrities. Says Varma, icons like Gere do have an impact at a sub-conscious level. Celebrities can push anything," laughs Mehta. And yes, all things Buddhist do have a lure. "Initially I got all excited and bought a lot of Buddhist stuff like colourful beads, CDs etc., but soon realised this was not true practice," says Mehta.
In harmony with rationality
Classical or mainstream Buddhism attracts as it is in harmony with our western education and conditioning, reasons Merhotra. It goes well with the modern belief systems of rationality and logic. Buddhism also stands the scrutiny of science and technology Moreover, if the scriptures say one thing and your experience another, you go by your experience, says Mehrotra. And the fascination for Buddhism is only growing. "I like the whole compassion thing. We chant for others, even those we dont know and that feels good," says Ankita Mukherji, 20, a DU student, and a member of the Bharat Soka Gakkai (BSG) chapter. For many, chanting is empowering. It focuses the mind and is calming, agrees Mehrotra. The mantras have meaning in intellectual terms and there is an audio effect, like background music but chanting also seems like a "shortcut," he says.
Human revolution
The BSG members practice the Buddhism taught by Japanese sage Nichiren Daishonin. Explains Naveena Reddi, director general, BSG, "The essence of our movement is human revolution. The philosophy is practical and helps members to deal with every aspect of their daily life. The word, Soka means value creation." And people are seeing a change happening. Says actor, Tisca Chopra, a BSG member, who chants for an hour everyday, "The knowledge that everything is within and there is nothing you cant achieve has got me soaring."
No rituals involved
Buddhism comes as a boon for young people like Devika Srivastva, 20, who dont believe in the "technical part" of Hinduism like going to the temple or reciting the Hanuman Chalisa. It is not like you have to follow rituals, says Mukherji. Agrees Varma, "Buddhism has given me big time freedom. You look at everything with a new perspective." "Simple things like you reap what you sow work like wonder drugs pushing you to chart your own destiny. And the small miracles that keep happening only strengthen your faith," says Mukherji. "There is a Buddha in every-one, we only have to awaken it. For the young it is also a matter of accessibility Buddhist literature in English is easily available, while many scriptures of Hinduism remain inaccessible as these are in Sanskrit." rues Srivastva.
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