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| Wednesday, 4 December 2002 |
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Buddhism is gaining wide appeal across the globe Speech by Deputy Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, at The 7th World Buddhist Sangha Council Conference Extraordinary General Meeting and Executive Committee Meeting, 24 November 2002 Buddhism is gaining wide appeal across the globe. The large international membership of the World Buddhist Sangha Council is clear evidence. There are a growing number of internet sites that offer information about Buddhism. Many companies produce music, videos, and multi-media educational material on Buddhism. Buddhism has even influenced pop culture and permeated into the psyche of the masses.In Singapore too, Buddhism has not only retained its relevance, but is gaining popularity. Between 1990 and 2000, the percentage of Singaporeans above 15 years old who are Buddhists increased from 31% to 43%, the largest increase amongst all major religions. Dharma talks in Singapore are now also conducted in English, to reach out young to pray. They are eager to delve deeper into the Buddhist scriptures and reflect upon their philosophical and spiritual significance. The rise in popularity of Buddhism is part of a global revival of religious consciousness. This is a natural human response to the tumultuous times that we are living through. Globalisation brings greater economic opportunities, especially to a small economy like Singapore. But it is also fundamentally reshaping the world that we are living in, generating unpredictable and disorienting changes, and creating apprehension, uncertainty and discontent. Religions help people to cope with such uncertainties, and provide them a moral and spiritual anchor during disruptive times.While religion provides certainty and reassurance, we live in a diverse world, in which people belong to different religions and hold conflicting beliefs. With globalisation, it becomes even more important to live with this diversity, and respect the faiths of others. Singapore is itself an outcome of globalisation. We are situated at a major junction for trade, which explains why major ethnic groups and religions are present and living side by side in Singapore. Tolerance and harmony are therefore fundamental principles of our society.We must harness the common principles of all religions, which are to uphold universal values of peace, harmony, goodness and tolerance. Buddhism itself is above all a religion of tolerance and peace. Since its founding more than two thousand years ago, no country has gone to war in the name of Buddhism. Those principles need to be emphasised now more than at any other time in recent history.There are of course people who exploit the name of religion to commit crimes and atrocities. But religious leaders should take a clear stand to disavow and condemn such extremists, as they have done. We must show beyond doubt that these extremists and their atrocities are against the teachings of all reputable religions.While the common values and principles of different religions can be a unifying strength for a multi-racial society like Singapore, we also need to make a conscious effort to respect the sensitivities and needs of each religion, to compromise with and accommodate one another. So in Singapore, every school canteen serves both Muslim and non-Muslim food. Taoists refrain from burning enormous joss-sticks during seventh moon dinners; and mosques lower the volume of the azan - the Muslim call to prayer - replacing it with radio broadcasts. We are developing a Code on Religious Harmony, which will guide social interaction in a multi-religious society, and reaffirm the values and principles that have helped maintain religious harmony over the years. I hope that religious organisations in Singapore will further pursue inter-religious group collaboration. For example, the Federation could explore teaming up with another non-Buddhist group to jointly run some social services. Such collaboration can be a useful way to improve understanding and trust.A second challenge of globalisation is wider social disparity. We cannot hold back enterprising and capable people who seize global opportunities to create wealth and generate jobs for others. But as these people surge ahead, many others who are less capable or lucky will be left behind. As the social divide widens, we risk creating dangerous fault-lines within society.To bridge this gap, successful individuals must show that they care for and will commit themselves to improve the lives of the less successful. We must promote philanthropy to help the needy and make them feel valued as equal members of society. Religious institutions are an effective channel to bring together those who can help, and those who need help. In this respect, the leaders of the Buddhist community in Singapore have shown much wisdom and social consciousness, putting into practice the imperative of compassion. In particular, I would like to commend two initiatives by the Singapore Buddhist Federation. First, the Federation has run the Singapore Buddhist Free Clinic for over 33 years, treating more than 12 million patients. There are now six branches spread across the island, serving mainly lower income Singaporeans. Another social service by the Singapore Buddhist Federation is Ren Ci Hospital. It is a community hospital for the chronic sick, and caters to patients of all races and religions. These facilities would not be sustainable without the contributions from donors and well-wishers. This is the first time that the Singapore Buddhist Federation is hosting an event of this size, bringing together so many delegates from around the world. The theme of this year's conference is how Buddhists can contribute to community service, education and social affairs. The topic reflects the positive contribution that religion and religious values bring to society. It is a timely forum, in the light of global developments.I wish the conference every success. ******************************** Global Conference on Buddhism 2002 Billed as the "Buddhist event of the year", the "Global Conference on Buddhism 2002 (GCB2002)" has drawn an impressive list of international speakers - from both the west and the east, and an audience participation which is expected to exceed 1,000 people. What does this conference offer that differs from other similar "global Buddhist conferences" which have been held in and around South East Asia? For starters, some people have been calling the GCB2002 as a "live dhamma compendium", but organisers of the gathering prefers to dub it as "a collision of dhamma dynamics". Although the GCB2002 is Malaysia's biggest international Buddhist showpiece in terms of the number of participants involved, nevertheless its main draw is contained in the discussion threads which have been carefully laced together by the finest Buddhist brains in the country. The program may not seem to point to any bob-sleight type exhiliration ride, but more importantly the organisers hope it will set minds thinking. "Food for the mind," so says the Honorable Chief Venerable of Malaysia and Singapore, Ven. Dr K Sri Dhammananda, "is all about using our inherent faculties to mindfully watch what is happening in and around us, so that we get the spiritual nutrients and vital ingredients to lift us out of our mundane sense and transcend the limit of our worldly selves." Indeed the conference program has outlined such topics as "Science & Moral Conscience", "Modern Lifestyles and the Family" and "Dharma Therapy through Meditation" which in the traditional sense have always served as some of the most palatable foods for thought. How do you reconcile genetic engineering and the law of karma? And how about understanding the thin line separating bio-ethics and the danger of us playing the role of the "creator"? What are the challenges facing modern parents in bringing up kids? Is there a future for Buddhist parenthood? Whether topics such as these will ignite the intellectual realm depends on how they are served by the selected speakers specially invited by the organisers. "You can say that we have made a lot of effort to bring in different mindsets to meet in Malaysia," boomed Goh Seng Chai, the Honorary Secretary of the Conference. "From London to Denver, from Bangkok to Lhasa, from Tokyo to Brisbane and from Kuala Lumpur to Taipei, the speakers have been carefully selected based on their intellectual scholarship, dhamma inspiration and deep practice." "Through this selected blend of Dhamma practitioners and researchers, we hope to forment some form of mental collision, a spiritual collision if you like, one which we hope will encourage open discussions and ignite new religious vistas as well as to bridge spiritual divides," Goh emphasised. The organising committee believes that GCB2002 is the best platform to stimulate conditions for an international level Dhammic interaction which may not have otherwise taken place in a more local outlook. "Local Dhamma talks are aplenty," says Loka Ng, the Chairman of the organising committee, "but we hope GCB2002 will raise the interactive level one notch higher. There can be no replacement for face to face encounters, even in this day and age of the internet." "As in the time of the Buddha, where oral communication and verbal exchange was in real sense the key to effective Dhamma transmission, we hope to facilitate such an environment to be emulated," Loka adds. Of course, it also matters that the exchanges are helmed by quality disseminators. Indeed, GCB2002 could be seen as a point of arrival for Malaysian Buddhists, of the kind of role they can play to embrace true universal Buddhist citizenry in the new millennium. By having an intimate understanding of the timeless teachings of the Buddha, and wise use of appropriate social and technological mechanisms, the realm of common humanity and "inter-being" can be explored and enhanced. Let the dhamma dynamics begin! Venue: |
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