The need to do some inquiry came as a gradual realization after I had finished medical school. I was working in a hospital in Surat, Gujarat, India when a Hindu priest brought one of his followers for treatment. I noticed how faithfully the priest visited everyday and showed genuine concern for the welfare of the young man. At times we would converse and he would expound on Hindu thought and philosophy, hoping for my agreement.
There were Muslims in all the communities in which I lived. Some of my boyhood friends were Muslims. We got along quite well although they did discuss differences, mainly in regard to certain behavioral patterns, pointing to the lax moral standards of the west.
In Shimla, Himachal Pradesh I was privileged to meet with the monks from Dharamshala, where the Dalai Lama lived. Some would come over to the hospital for a check up or treatment and we would exchange ideas. Those were memorable chats, sitting out on the porch, looking out to the snow-capped mountains of the grand Himalayan range.
Later in Jalandhar, Punjab, I made Sikh friends and even went to visit the Golden Temple in Amritsar – the most sacred site of the Sikhs. Watching their benevolent attitude and communal spirit was quite an experience.
I had also worked in Ranchi, Jharkhand (then Bihar) which is a few hours away from Bodh Gaya – where Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism was said to have been enlightened under a ficus tree some 2500 years ago.
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