 |
|
| Kathmandu, Monday February 24, 2003 Falgun 12, 2059. |
|
Pacifists light lamps for peace
By Surendra Phuyal
KATHMANDU, Feb 23 :
They originally hail from the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and other European
countries. But hundreds of expatriates living in the Kathmandu Valley gathered at the
centuries-old stupa of Bouddhanath this evening, the all-seeing eyes of Buddha vigilant as
ever.
They had gathered there
for a genuine cause: observe a silent, lamp-lighting vigil for world peace. All this, just
when the United States and the allied forces that have gathered in the Gulf prepare for a
war in Iraq. Coincidentally, it is also a time when there is truce in Nepal, and the rebel
Maoists are aboveground, vowing to establish lasting peace in the country.
"War is not the
answer, war just fills hatred - that’s not the world we want for us and our
children," said Steven Honeyman, a Canadian national, as he stood with his wife, Tory
Clawson, and their five-month-old son, ‘Tika’, on the 1500-year-old stupa.
The rows of the
butter-fed lamps in front of them were placed in such a way as to carve out a sketch of
Mandala - an image symbolising the graphic symbol of the universe. (From the sky above,
the huge stupa also looks like a huge Mandala). The lamps were glowing bright - even as
the hard wind blowing from the south threatened to blow them out.
As the sun prepared to
sink behind the Chandragiri hill at the western end of the Valley, the expats - who were
aided by the Tibetan monks and their local friends - began circumambulating the big,
white-painted mound. In no time, they finished placing earthen lamps on the edges, upon
which the big white mound stands tall. The monks in maroon robes and the locals helped
them light up the lamps.
By 6 p.m., altogether
50,000 lamps had been lit up, and the beautiful stupa was glowing, the many prayer flags
bearing holy Buddhist mantras fluttering in the wind, and dozens of pigeons flying over
the stupa. And in a corner an expat couple was chitchatting peace and non-violence - and,
of course, love.
The husband, who did
not want to be identified by name, said, "It’s time for everyone of us to speak
out for peace."
A statement issued by
the expat community, the organiser of the event said that through the butter-lamp vigil
they wished to register their "profound misgivings" about the course "that
our home governments have taken with regard to Iraq". But it added that they were
expressing their feelings solely in their individual capacities.
"We believe that
the notion of preventive strike against Iraq - and especially the threat to use nuclear
weapons - without proof of an imminent threat to any of our countries and without the
backing of the United Nations Security Council would be immoral and in contravention of
international law and the UN Charter," the statement said.
It added that war with
Iraq would lead to deaths of many innocent Iraqis...(and) "that such preventive war
would exacerbate, rather than effectively address, the threat of terrorism, making it much
more difficult for the international community to deal with other global threats, such as
nuclear proliferation and climate change".
Lisa Choegyal, an
eco-tourism specialist who has been staying in Nepal since early 1970s, said that the
silent lamp-lighting vigil was aimed at urging "our home governments to reconsider
their policies" with regard to Iraq.
"We are making
silent visual praying for the world, because we understand how much damage a war could
cause in the world," she added.
It was a moonless
evening, black clouds hovering in the sky. And alone in a corner, an Australian monk in
maroon was trying to light up the lamps that were blown out by the hard, spring wind. He
lit up one or two lamps, and did not seem very much optimistic about world peace at this
point.
"We are lighting
up the lamps here, but I wonder the world leaders will listen to us," the monk in
maroon robes, who identified himself as Rinchen Tsephel, said.
"Last week, there
were (anti-war) demonstrations every where, even in my home city (of Sydney)." His
forecast was that "eventually there is going to be some fighting in Iraq before we
have lasting peace on earth."
Like the expats and
their local friends, Thupden Chhodar, and his fellow monk, Kelsang Hima, both 15, were
lighting up the butter-fed lamps at the stupa. When quizzed whether they like fighting,
Thupden insisted that there has to be peace, and that everybody should be allowed to live
in peace and harmony.
And a prominent expat
lady, who also did not want to be identified by name, summed up the sentiments of the shy
boy-monks thus: "If Nepal can go for peace, so can Washington and the world. After
all, peace is too infectious...Go for butter lamps not bombs."
Other Stories
|
