 |
In this engaging text, Sri Lankan twin brothers Rohan (now deceased) and Mohan Per era explicate their philosophy of life and religion. Based on a framework of Christianity, their shared viewpoint also encompasses some Buddhist ideals. The authors believe that since love existed before humanity, it is to this pure love that humans must return through diligent seeking, the development of conscience, and the gradual acquisition of wisdom. In the Pereras’ exploration, they pose several notable questions: Since lust is necessarily selfish, how can it support a marriage dedicated to mutual caring and unselfishness? If religion teaches us to love all equally, why do we teach children to succeed in life by besting others? If science can find the location of thinking—the brain—why has it never found the location or mechanism of loving? The Pereras suggest that the devil tempts our human egos toward selfishness; only through the unconditional love of and from God can we overcome that temptation.
The writing style of What Is Man is plain and rational, underscoring the excellent intellectual grounding of both authors. There is occasional humor and some original poetry. About twenty percent of the text consists of questions/remarks from unknown persons and the responses by “World of Ro and Mo,” but these, lamentably, lack any indication of the origin of the exchanges. The main body of the book is peppered with numerous quotations—from Einstein, Hawking, Gandhi, with the vast majority coming from the New Testament, focused on the life and teachings of Jesus. Throughout, it is notable that the Perera brothers have assembled their ideas carefully, utilizing various interesting methods to share their unconventional but logic-based theories regarding life’s meaning and purpose.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review