The Yogi Drank Tea

I, unfortunately, didn't have my camera along when I was at the interfaith meeting I am writing about. These pictures of people worshiping at a Hindu temple in Kathmandu and of the Buddhist World Peace Pagoda in Pokhara will need to suffice.

I recently participated in the most fascinating interfaith meeting I have ever been part of. Members of the Nepal Inter-Religious Council gathered in a hotel in Kathmandu to meet us as representatives of MCC. It was an eclectic group of people representing the different religions in Nepal, including Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, Christianity, Bahai, and the Bon, an indigenous religion.

Various Hindu representatives were in attendance, including some very colourful characters such as the chairman of the Nepal chapter of the World Hindu Federation. Another was a Yogi who, we were informed in reverent tones, lived in a cave. The Yogi appeared to be thoroughly enjoying himself as he blessed our gathering with a beatific smile. At times he seemed to be deep in meditation.

The group has been gathering monthly for the last four years with the goal of building interfaith cooperation and guiding the national political process onto the path of dialogue and reconciliation. Our meeting was opened by Dr. K. B. Rokaya, the Christian representative on the council, who is one of the movers and shakers in the group. He briefed us on their history, objectives, and achievements.

The focus of the group was not on interreligious dialogue but on interfaith cooperation toward building peace, reconciliation, and flourishing communities in Nepal. During the civil war the council had been instrumental in opening up contact and conversation between the Maoists and other parties to the conflict as well as various foreign governments. At a crucial juncture in the conflict, they had issued a press release stating that the conflict could be resolved only through “mutual understanding and dialogue” and not through violence.

I was asked to say a few words before they opened the floor for a general discussion. After briefly explaining the work and objectives of MCC, I emphasized the importance of interfaith understanding and cooperation in creating just and peaceful communities. I said that the basis for such efforts should be our deep commitment to the inherent dignity and interconnectedness of all people as created in the image of God. I also spoke of our Mennonite religious values of nonviolence and religious freedom.

There was a lively response. A Hindu participant picked up on my comments on human dignity. He quoted from the book of Genesis in the Bible and from Hindu scriptures to underscore that we are all created by God or Allah. Various participants expressed their commitment to religious freedom. Others expressed frustration about how their interfaith efforts were sometimes met with mistrust by some in their own religious communities. A few religious leaders even opposed them.

It became increasingly evident that they were all concerned about freedom of religion in Nepal and that this was part of their reason for working together. They worried about an anti-religious secularism creeping into the new constitution being written for post-conflict Nepal. Everyone, including the Hindus, said that the government should respect religion but remain neutral in religious matters. One of their goals is to positively influence the process of drafting a new constitution to express religious values of freedom, reconciliation, and peace with justice.

My MCC colleague Amy Erickson encouraged them to build bridges between their national level efforts with their grassroots religious communities. They listened carefully to her comments on how to build an effective movement that includes all sectors in a society. One participant appreciatively commented, “These are very serious words.”

We then adjourned the meeting to have dinner together. Several had to excuse themselves because of prior commitments. The Muslim representative needed to participate in an event breaking the Ramadan fast. The Buddhists were headed to a peace rally. The rest of us ate our food and talked while the yogi sipped his tea.