This Above all
The gospel truth
KHUSHWANT SINGH

I read sacred texts of different religions because most of them have passages of great literary merit. Since I can’t read Sanskrit or Arabic, I read them translated into English. Translations rarely catch the music of words and I sense I miss a great deal which those who know languages of the original enjoy in full measure. I have less difficulty with the compilations of Sikh scriptures as they are closer to Punjabi spoken today. Perforce my concentration is on The Bible. Though translated from Hebrew and, perhaps Latin, it has been polished by successions of scholars.

Both the Old Testament and the New Testament have passages of linguistic excellence which have become an integral part of European languages spoken today. Among the many that most Christians know by heart is the Sermon on the Mount found in the Gospel of St Matthew, and is usually known as the Beatitudes or Blessings. I refer to it as an Indian Christian friend living in England and editing a journal wants my views as an agnostic on the subject.

First, the sermon for those who don’t know what it is. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they who thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peace-makers, for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and say all manners of evil against you falsely, for my sake."

Note the utterly simple language shorn of literary conceits. The strength of the sermon lies in its simplicity and directness. The message goes straight into the readers’ hearts and stays there forever. In the context the word blessed does not mean one who is blessed with good luck but one who is in need of solace. One should keep in mind that the message of the sermon is different from that of the Ten Commandments, which spell out a code of conduct on what we should or should not do—don’t lie, don’t steal, don’t usurp another’s property, don’t commit adultery and so on.

The sermon is an assurance that those who suffer will, by God’s grace, be comforted. Listed among the sufferers are the poor in spirit, those in mourning, the meek, the hungry, victims of unrighteousness, the merciful, restorers of peace among people at variance with each other and those who suffer for their faith in their messiah’s teachings — in the case of Christians, Jesus Christ. In the case of others, their founders.

The Sermon need not be read as exclusively as a Christian text. The main difference between the Commandments and the sermons is that while one is the rod of correcting—danda for those who stray from the path of rectitude—the other is a salve (malham) to soothe those who are hurt.

Bikini

Many years ago I happened to be on the panel of three judges at an all India beauty contest. Entrants were required to be in bathing costumes and have their vital measurements— size of breast and waist—taken and announced in front of a large audience. Some were reluctant to do so and chose to opt out. Now I see similar contests on TV with girls appearing in two-piece costumes, one to cover their bosoms, the other to cover their middles.

Besides sizes and shapes of their breasts and their buttocks, judges can also see their belly-buttons. I was intrigued by the fact that these two strips of cloth are known as bikinis. Why?

Bikini is the name of an atoll in the Pacific in which the US tested the efficacy of the first Atom Bomb in 1946. It was devastating. The year following girls were seen strolling along the French Riviera in two-piece costumes.

The effect on the spectators was equally mind-boggling. No one really knows if there is any connection between the two but from France the word bikini gained worldwide acceptance for a two-piece bathing costume. Now beauty pageant judges have become more demanding and require contestants to remove the upper half of the costume as well.

A bra can conceal the real shape and firmness of breasts which must be exposed to judicial scrutiny. So now we have a new word for one-piece cloth known as mono-kini—the western vision for a female longotee. Little remains to be uncovered except removal of the letter ‘L’ from the spelling of public.

What is love?

Lovers of Urdu poetry with even scanty knowledge of the language will know this couplet of Asadullah Khan Ghalib on the power of love:

One afternoon, having nothing better to do, I translated it into English:

It refuses to be put out.

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