The Prodigal Son and the Self-Forgetting God

I have spent my life studying the religions. But I am not a religious person. My interest in the religions has more to do with the fascinating stories they tell, which I take metaphorically, not literally. I take these stories as myths — sacred stories which are rich with spiritual meaning and insights. Of the world religions, I am most familiar with Christianity, Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism. I grew up in a Christian family in Hong Kong. Being Chinese, Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism form my cultural environment. I learned about them mostly through osmosis. I also have some understanding of Hinduism, Judaism and Islam. With Hinduism and Islam, in particular, I had to actually make an effort to learn about them through reading. One way to learn about a religion is to see how it answers certain essential questions about human life. All religions address the following questions in one way or another:

1. Why does the cosmos exist?

2. Why am I here?

3. Why is there evil in the world?

4. Why is there so much suffering?

5. How should I live?

6. What happens when I die?

7. Is there a point to it all?

Hinduism (or Brahmanism) is the oldest religion of humankind. Since I attended an Anglican school, I was required to take religion classes. When I was in high school, my religion teacher, Mr. Sherard, told me that out of the many world religions, Hinduism is the…