Of all the religions I have studied, I must say that, in my opinion, Islam boasts some of the prettiest music I’ve ever heard. One of my favorite recording artists of 2008 is, hands-down, Zain Bhikha. His spellbinding voice advocating Allah is so pleasing to the soul that words can’t even describe what it feels like just to listen to his songs because his music is so beautiful. One of the reasons why I have gravitated to his songs is that the message behind his lyrics is clear, which is to say that among other things, once we have lived this life and our death is imminent, whatever material things we have accumulated will remain behind, and our journey to what lies beyond this physical existence will begin. This is a message that transcends religion, I know, but the way in which Bhikha sings makes what we all must face not so depressing. I hope you enjoy the embedded videos.
I’m not an expert in religious studies, but I believe Buddhism is one of the few “religious” faiths that recognizes suffering, specifically. From a Buddhist perspective there are several different kinds of manifest suffering. There is the type of suffering that is associated with pain. For example, the product of our skin being cut by a sharp knife is physical pain. The blade slices our flesh; the nerve endings are damaged in the process; and this prompts a chemical reaction to travel to our brains thereby causing other parts of our body to respond. As a result, we do everything in our power to heal the wound in order to stop the unpleasant sensation.
Another form of manifest suffering comes with growing old. As we age, our bodies deteriorate. It’s something every human who lives long enough must experience, and the longer we live, the more our bodies change until ultimately we die. It’s an unfortunate condition of human existence. I once heard one of my older college professors, who was in his 80s at the time, liken aging to a sinking ship. It’s only a matter of time before a ship that has a damaged hull in the middle of the ocean sinks. Not only must the elderly deal with the all the other ailments associated with advanced age such as muscle degeneration, memory loss, and loneliness, but he or she must also cope with the prospects of what happens in the hereafter.
But, in my opinion, the greatest form of manifest suffering—from a Buddhist perspective—comes from attachment such as longing. For example, recently, I overheard a child lament that his father was not going to buy him something called a Playstation Portable (PSP). Initially, I felt pity for the young man because he seemed generally distraught, but as I rationalized what he was going through, it became clear to me that electronic games are fads, nothing more. Given enough time, the child’s delusionary attachment for the object will dissipate. But, unlike physical suffering, which affects parts of the body, longing is a purely mental activity and, in certain situations, is not easy to dismiss.
From my experience, mourning the loss of a loved one has been the hardest thing to either accept or overcome. Here, I’m not only referring to someone who has died, but in the everyday experience of saying goodbye to someone for whom a friendship has been established. For instance, one of the most difficult aspects of my time in the military was saying “so long” to people I had served with. There are several fellows with whom I would do just about anything for because the bond we established while serving our nation became so great. For me, our relationship transcended into something akin to brotherliness. It’s hard to explain, but I’m sure there are other service personnel who understand what I mean. The moment I ended my enlistment was the moment the path with my comrades diverged, and now I haven’t a clue as to where most of them are or what they are doing.
You know, the older I become the more I can feel the pain of the elderly who have not only lost their health and well-being, but who have lost family and friends to death. I know the pain the World War II veterans now must feel because while they won the war against Germany and Japan, they are loosing the war against time. It won’t be long until there are no living veterans of that Great War waged during the 1940s, and my fear is that, while they long to be surrounded by family and friends of a bygone era, many of them will die alone. This is the type of suffering I believe to be the greatest of all human suffering because it’s brutal.
The only solace I can find in all these forms of suffering is that the Buddha teaches that nothing we grasp at or cling to is permanent, not even our present suffering. The pain we feel when we’re cut will cease when our wound heals. Moreover, as soon as a newer video game is on the market, the child’s desire to have the PSP will subside. And finally, if we are granted a full and rewarding life, death is the greatest complement to that existence. Knowing these things makes physical pain and the pains associated with attachment more tolerable.
I will not deny about how disappointed I am with the results of this year’s presidential election. The best man for the job did not get the job, and I, along with millions of other McCain/Palin supporters, have no choice but to accept that Barack Obama will be our nation’s 44th president. It is bittersweet, I know, but in this election there are clear winners such as our nation’s minority communities. By electing our nation’s first ethnic candidate, each American, regardless of color, can now look towards the high office and know that even in practice they have the opportunity to be anything they want to be, including the president. Words can never nor will ever express the beauty of this reality, which makes this election truly remarkable.
For every winner there are losers, and in this election cycle the losers are both clear and not-so-clear. It’s a no-brainer to say that the Republicans lost; I accept that. The ineptness of the Bush Administration in recent years to maintain a strong Republican base by deviating from ‘compassionate conservatism,’ to what many people believe was a mission of hurtful rhetoric and even harmful policies directed at small minority communities is clear. This is the tragic legacy George W. Bush will leave to both America and the world for generations to come, and this makes my heart ache.
There is another losing group that neither the Democratic Party nor the media will recognize. Compared to the size of the rest of the American population, the gay community, statistically speaking, comprises about ten percent of the total population and is the most neglected of all minority groups. Many who are gay, lesbian, or transgendered are hard-working people who merely want to enjoy the same peace and prosperity that straight Americans do. However, time-and-time again these people are often the target of hate crimes and are neglected by elected officials of both political parties.
The saddest part of the election night came as I occasionally saw on television what I know to be the gay flag flying amongst the throngs of people eager to hear Obama’s acceptance speech. It was sad to see because the wavers of that flag were wallowing in a vulgar display of false hope and security because I know that their plight will not be a priority during the next administration as it has not been a priority in previous administrations; there are just too many other problems that will supersede any gay, lesbian or transgendered issue. In short, the gay community must, as they have always done, wait and hope that an elected official will exercise compassion and advocate for them. If Obama makes time to support the multi-faceted issues surrounding the gay community such as same sex-marriage, then I will be impressed because I would then see him as a president for all of us.
The aim of this piece is to not take away from the historical significance of this moment in world history. This is a joyous event because, among other things, we told the world that American democracy is alive and thriving. Barack Obama is going to be our next president, and I want my liberal, conservative, and apolitical friends to know that I will rally behind him because when it is all said and done, we are all Americans, and we must support each other, regardless of our background, to help form a more perfect union.
