One thing that I found interesting is the comparison between old conventional Tibetan Buddhist life and the quickly-modernizing atmosphere in which it now is a part of in the Tibetan government-in-exile in India.
The (2nd) article describes the slow, but sure, fading practice of Buddhism world-wide.
I then started to think about religion in general. My question is:
With the ever-evolving world that we live in- 21st century internet, video games, television, et cetera- is the practice of religion slowly deteriorating? Are there ways that religious leaders can make practicing religion more attractive, especially to OUR generation which seems to only do things that are attractive. I personally do not believe that going to a 2-hour long session is attractive.
Think of Siddhartha, his life is so slow and, as we agreed in class, he just lives in the moment, yet in all moments. He is thinker, and in many ways that is what religion is as well, thinking and committing one's self to a doctrine, or exploring different ones. I think that if all people just stopped to think, to reflect and to LIVE IN ALL MOMENTS, life would be better for everyone.
However, with the Western corporate, live-fast culture making its way quick across the rest of the globe, is there any hope for a Siddhartha-type society in the future?
What a great question! Siddhartha's way of life does seem anachronistic in today's fast and temporal modern world. Does religion need to evolve to suit today's impatient youth? Or do we need to find the balance in our lives--to reflect, meditate, pray, listen, worship. . . Perhaps these are all rituals that will soon be lost. That is why I find Hesse's work so timely; we need to think of how we are operating, and if working for the future will end up being just endless work in the end. What are we doing to help ourselves now?
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