〔電子〕The Call of the Divine: A Shared Journey and A Fellowship of Souls

An ardent temple-goer during his boyhood in British Malaya, following his studies in Australia, the author eventually adopted a spiritual approach to God, through Hinduism’s Upanishads. His diverse academic exposure and wide-ranging reading, and his books on bridging cross-cultural differences led him to be described by a professor (one of his many academic supporters) as “an intellectual who cannot be categorised”. His book on Australian society brought forth this assessment: “There is wisdom here”. In a Western society whose ethos is individualism, he is a communitarian. Politically a swinging voter, and an understanding freethinker about religion (“All religions are equal in their potential”), he enjoys a recluse life (understandable in a nonagenarian), spending significant time in contemplation of the Divine. Recognising that one’s relationship with God is personal and private, he denies a role for institutional religions as relevant intermediaries. Instead, he prefers un-corporatised priests, like the shamans of old, and the Hindu priests of his youth, to guide those individuals who seek succour from the vicissitudes of life; as well as to offer hope for others of a more meaningful Earthly existence. He believes that priests should offer faith, without seeking control or dominance over the lives of others. Exercising political influence over a government to force non-believers to abide by a particular theology is not consistent with the philosophies of the great religious teachers of mankind; it is also not consistent with democratic, multi-ethnic, multicultural societies all over the globe. The fulfilment of a meaningful life on Earth is surely through following a shared spiritual path traversing diverse faiths.