Archives

Buddhism and social peace

Vesak a day sacred to all Buddhists which falls tomorrow, serves to emphasize the need for peace and understanding everywhere. With the peace process with the greatest promise getting stabilized in the country, this fundamental significance of Vesak needs to be borne in mind by everyone who wishes this country well.

We had occasion to refer to some of these issues in this commentary yesterday but are compelled to elaborate on them here on account of their inseparability to the principal teachings of the Buddha. The time is right for all well-meaning persons to recollect the essential message of Buddhism, because, it, like all major faiths of the world, lays the groundwork for social cohesion and peaceful co-existence - two essential requirements in the Sri Lanka of today.

It is not fully realised, perhaps, that Buddhism does not only preach Maitreye and tolerance. It goes beyond these values to highlight the essential oneness of humanity through its teachings on the illusion of the Self. Since the Self is a substanceless illusion, notions such as ethnicity, separateness and individuality have no basis to them either.

All well meaning persons would do well to dwell awhile on these teachings of the Noble One which have filled people with a sense of deep understanding all over the world. Since notions such as community, group and tribe are illusions of the sensuous mind, we arrive at the conclusion that all humanity is one and that its members should not be subjected to discriminatory treatment. Herein lies the peace potential of Buddhism.

Today, sociological discourse has gone beyond pluralism to multiculturalism. The former concept merely recognizes the existence of diverse cultures in society and endorses tolerance as a way of approaching these differences. However, multiculturalism transcends pluralism in that it endorses the view that cultural and ethnic diversity must not be only tolerated but that different cultures and communities should relate to each other on the basis of complete equality. Needless to say, it is only the equal treatment of diverse communities which could produce social peace.

Through its teachings on the baseless nature of the Self, Buddhism lays the basis for multiculturalism and peaceful co-existence among social groups on equal terms. For, if ethnic otherness and other social distinctions are an illusion of the mind, humanity is one and its members could relate to each other as equals.

News | Business | Features | Editorial | Security
Politics | World | Letters | Sports | Obituaries |

Produced by Lake House
Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
Comments and suggestions to :Web Manager