The best-seller book, “The Post American World” by Dr. Fareed Zakaria, published in 2008, recently created controversy among the Buddhist community throughout the world.
Dr. Zakaria’s distortion of the fact that Buddha was born in India offended Nepali people. Dr. Zakaria holds a Ph. D. from Harvard. He received his doctorate in Political Science under renowned Professor Samuel P. Huntington and was enlightened by another renowned Professor Stanley Hoffman.
Dr. Zakaria is an editor and regular Newsweek columnist whith 24 million readers. Dr. Zakaria hosts a show on CNN called, “International Affairs Program.” He offers on a regular basis, his writings on foreign affairs. There is much more to him. If a man of his standing misleads readers on important subjects he may have some other intent in his mind and that might be a very ill-motivated one.
Intellectuals think Dr. Zakaria’s intention is to create fissures between Hindus and Buddhists and between the people of two countries, India and Nepal and for instability in the South Asian region to fuel some psychological fear to the Chinese establishment.
Instability in South Asian region means the likelihood of China’s instability which might cost the overall rapid progress of China. A halt in China’s progress is a direct blow to the US economy because it is very much dependent on China’s big investment and its cheap commodities.
Simple as it is, the faith of a person in this heavenly earth never fades away. The crumbling US economy and its collapse to a major or regional power status is only a victory to the Satan who forced the tears of many deeply hurt people remembering the eighth anniversary of the fallen twin towers.
Lord Buddha who was not required then to receive citizenship was born in Lumbini, the western part of Nepal. He definitely went to Gaya, now in India, for enlightenment but never received any citizenship from any part of the present day India.
To be pointed, India is one of the very few young nations, which was born only after the British left it in 1947. Nepal existed even before Buddha’s forefathers rose to power.
Buddha was born to a Hindu ruler. Buddhism was his creation. Buddhism became a religion because human beings thrive for peace rather than violence. There are very few books that instigate violence and killing of innocents as their pathway to heaven.
The teachings of Buddha never accept the pains and sufferings of living creatures. Had Buddha’s teachings prevailed, the Twin Towers would have been the major attractions of the tourism. Unfortunately, the evils took pride in the collapse of the Twin Towers thinking American pride would be shattered. American pride will never shatter because it represents freedom. The want of freedom cannot be kept under a piece of cloth.
We can hope, Dr. Zakaria is not provoking Harvard University to revoke his Ph. D. or shaming his widely acclaimed professors Samuel Huntington and Stanley Hoffman by creating confusion on Lord Buddha.
The hundreds of millions of Buddhists often remind the world that Lord Buddha was born in Lumbini, Nepal.
