Buddha in the Slaughterer’s House and Appeal for Ultimate Peace and Nirvana

Abstract

This paper analyzes a post-conflict narrative written by Mahesh Bikram Shaha during the time when the Maoist insurgency in Nepal was at peak level and human life was a matter of news making in different media forms. Shaha’s “Buddha in the Slaughterhouse”, showing the extreme level of human cruelty and barbarism along with the possibility of peace and harmony among the fighting groups, portrays the situation symbolically along with various metaphors like slaughterhouse, chanting Buddha’s hymns. Nepali citizenry was destined to be killed and victimized at any condition anywhere in the country either from the security forces or rebel groups, that everyone is inclined to kill and harm the others. In contrast, the reference of Buddhism and the presence of Buddha in the slaughterhouse would make the readers imbibe the importance of peace and harmony in the country. There are some people like the Emperor Ashoka, Angulamai and the slaughterer who were against the humanity in the beginning of their mission, but later they turned to be a true follower of Buddhism and spread peace and solidarity in the warring world. The paper is trying to answer three questions: why is the insurgency so horrific? What was the effect of the insurgency? How does Buddhism play a pivotal role in transferring a cruel mind into a soft one? The ultimate destination of human life is to get nirvana for the final peace and solidarity among the warring people.