An Intriguing Title

"Saving Fish From Drowning" is the intriguing title of the book by Amy Tan that I've just finished reading. It's based on a little story told of some fishermen who are taking fish out of the water and placing them gently on the grass where of course they succumb to a natural death. But the fishermen insist that they are not killing the fish, simply saving them from drowning. So do the intentions of the fishermen make all the difference? The point Amy Tan is making is that intentions, however well-meant, will have consequences, and the consequences may be not so good for the recipients! Immediately, some thoughts from world situations come to mind: for example, one country's interference in the affairs of another can backfire when there is no understanding of the culture, traditions and current political climate. Intentions: wanting to bring "democracy" to a country may be easier said than done (Iraq???) In America, freedom of speech is a given; in Burma, NOT!! The tourists in the book find that out in a hurry!

Another major theme in Tan's book is that "evil in the world almost always comes out of ignorance, " and this I would say is nowhere more in evidence than in ignorance of religious beliefs and practices. In Burma (the book's setting) there is a very strong animism which sees spirits in the natural world. These "Nats" may be dismissed as simply beliefs in magic and superstition but when one learns that appeasing the Nats with offerings is a rite, a form of "prayer," perhaps, it is a way of obtaining "merit," of, in some way, making a connection with the spiritual "Merit was better than food. Merit was hope." This made me think of the Catholic doctrine (I think it's a doctrine anyway, or, at least, a traditional practice) that one can earn or amass merit through "indulgences" earned by the saying of certain prayers. For the literal minded, indulgences are expressed in "years" and the years would be deleted from one's expected time in "purgatory," perfecting oneself for entry into heaven. Sort of like earning time off for good behaviour - in advance. (Of course, this became a real problem at one point when people got carried away and took the practice to extremes of buying and selling; we all know this was the final straw for Martin Luther and led to the Reformation!!)

But wouldn't it be a better world if we all looked for the similarities in religious practices rather than the differences?