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I had this conversation with my colleague about religion and how mankind positions itself in relation to religion. Being a Mathematics teacher, he used the example of a graph to demonstrate the connection between Man and GOD. He said that God is the Y axis in a graph - always standing firm and straight like a lighthouse and Man is the X axis always full of mistakes and wrongs. In times of happiness and prosperity, man always moves away from God and when calamity strikes Man moves towards the God seeking comfort and solace. This definition of the Human and the Divine serves as the right opening for this blog.
This blog examines the relationship between Pain and Religion. There is an element of masochism and sadism invloved in this relationship. Marx said that the religion is the opium of the people ( Wikipedia) I have identifed three stages of self inflicted addiction to religion.
Members of any established religion advocates the importance of a controlled self which again invloves some kind of agony and suffering. I am writiing this blog seated in my office in Bahrain - a place which is known as the Tourism capital of the Middle East. The main visitors are from Saudi Arabia and other neigbouring GCC's. The main activity for them, like any other toursit destinations is to sqaunder their oil wealth on women and drinks. It is in the month of Holy Ramadan that really brings out the level of self control in these tourists. All sorts of vices are prohibited in Baharain for that one month. Even smoking is banned. There should be some element of pain involved in this self controlled state. The Holy month thus becomes a time of purgation and cleansing.
The same is true about Christianity where the followers are exhorted to observe lent for 50 days before Easter Sunday. This too invloves self control for the Christian community as they are used to act of consuming more flesh on other days. Again an act of self control. The same is the case with the 41 days fast or 'vritham' which is part of the Hindu piligrimage to temple in South Kerala. The guidelines are strict like shunning all social activies, celibacy, not applying oil on the hair or body and always carries with them a tulsi leaf to ward off evil and temptations. The pilgrim sleeps on the bed and uses no footwear to protect his feet. ( inputs from sabarimalaaayyappan.com)
The second stage in this examination of religion and pain are the acts involoving more physical exertions and labour. In Isalm, the pilgrims undertake the Hajj to Mecca. In earlier days, the passage to Mecca was through the scorching desert. These days travel arrangements have improved but still there are risks involved due to the inclement weather conditions of Saudi Arabia. Most of the pilgrims who perform Hajj are old. They are so fragile and weak that they don't have the stamina to withstand the harshness of the event. They are ready to meet their creator and if that meeting happens in the Holy Land, they believe that it is the ultimate gift from above. The pilgrims take part in circumambulation which is one of the key elements of the Hajj rituals. It is is not just about taking a walk around the Ka'ba but it also involves other rituals which are quite tough for the elderly. The weather and the journey and the lack of food makes Hajj a difficult religious event.
In the Christain tradition, there is the ritual of the Way of the Cross. It is a kind of re-enactment of the journey that Christ made on his way to Crucifixation. Most of the pilgrimage centres would be difficult to access. Either they will be on top of a hill or deep inside the forest. There is one chruch in Kerala which is situated on a hilltop - Malayatoor Shrine. Malayattor pilgrimage is done as a vow in reparation of sins. Some pilgrims carry wooden crosses, some carry stones on their head and place them near the shrine. Women, sometimes, carry brooms, praying for the abundance of physical and spiritual well-being. (Source: Wikipedia)
In the Hindu tradition, the act of rolling on the ground seeking spiritual blessing is one act which mixes pain and suffering. Most of the time the pathway on which the devotees roll are not covered from the harshness of the sun, is dirty and is made of cement. There is also another strange custom which involves devotees rolling over the plaintain leaves which contain the left overs of the food. This practice is said to relieve the devotees of health issues and help them get healthier ( Source: indiatimes.com) The act of tonsuring your head is also another example where the devotee inflict some kind of physical harm on his body. The devotees sometimes burn camphor which is kept on the palm of their hands as an offering to God. ( Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
The third stage is the harshest one where the body is subjected to harsher treatments. The case of Shia Muslims during the annaul festival of Muharram. They use blades on chains inflict injuries on themselves. The self-flagellations are intended to atone for the sins committed by their forefathers. This is done alomost for one full week. It is indeed a horrifying scene to see all the worshippers moving through the streets with blood covered bodies and shouting religious slogans.
Mortification of the flesh is practiced in Christianity include flagellation in imitation of Jesus of Nazareth's suffreing and death by crucifixation (Source: Wikipedia) Pope John Paul II, who died un 2005, regularly used to whip himself according to the Polish nun who looked after him. In Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code, for instance, the murderous albino monk, Silas, is depicted flagellating himself while praying. (Source: Daily Mail)
In Hinduism, there are cases where metal rods driven through the tongues of the devotees to purify their souls. The ritual sometimes also include the insertion of iron hooks into the skin, free falling from high platforms and hanging upside down over fiery pots to frenzied drum beats. (Source: www.independent.co.uk) Another act of pain found in Hinduism is Thimti in which devotees walk on a fire pit which is prepared the night before and kept red throughout the day. It is found that this and similiar rituals can result in feelings of euphoria for participants. (Source: Wikipedia)
This blog is an attempt to chronicle the acts of inflicting pain, disfiguration, and agony on the human body in the context of religion. These illustrations clearly shows that the religion which is supposed to be a path of peace of love uses violence and pain as a means to make the followers find the true essence of God.
