Buddhism and social peace

Do not reopen 'old' or healing wounds in the collective consciousness of social groups and communities. This, in effect, was what President Mahinda Rasjapaksa intended to drive home when he told an audience at a school function recently that they must refrain from harping on the happenings of the past, which could have the effect of triggering anger and hatred towards others in the minds of the young, in particular.

A great responsibility is cast on the people and the state of this country in these post-conflict times in the form of making national rejuvenation a reality. The challenge in the economic sphere is to undo the material damage suffered by Sri Lanka during the wasting, 30-year conflict and to place her on a fast track of growth and prosperity. This is an onerous task and it could be seen that the state is putting its shoulder to this very weighty wheel. As has been often observed in this commentary before, the special challenge, in this context, is to not only ensure that the wheels of growth are humming happily but to also make the people of this land experience and enjoy this growth on an equal basis, everywhere. In short, economic justice needs to be a cherished aim of the state.

It is plain to see, that the government is investing a considerable amount of funds, material resources and time on North-East development. A project that is now almost a household word in this connection is the Uthuru Wasanthaya, which has as its main focus the socio-economic uplift of the North. Besides the general progress in these once conflict affected regions, the government also has the special responsibility of ensuring that the displaced in the conflict are comfortably resettled and rehabilitated. This must be done in double quick time, particularly in view of the necessity of rebutting some of the criticisms leveled at the state in the Darusman Report.

While these and many more weighty chores need to be taken on by the state to ensure the material well being of the people, it could be argued that the responsibility the state has to bear in the area of bringing inner healing and psychological wholeness to those affected by the conflict, could prove a more complex and burdensome undertaking. This is on account of the fact that the inner lives of people need delicate, sensitive and perceptive handling.

Here's where the religions and faiths of this land would prove most valuable. They present a resource which is yet to be fully and judiciously used, we daresay, despite their centuries-long histories and their long established presence in our midst.

This country is never in need of religious institutions because they are very widespread and numerous, but the multitudinous nature of these bodies do not necessarily translate into a high spirituality among the public. If this were so, Sri Lankan society would be relatively free of crime and immorality, but this is obviously not the case.

We cannot conclude from the foregoing that religion has failed because, unlike material or economic development, spiritual development is a slow, tortuous and uphill process which is usually difficult to sustain, particularly in societies which are marked by a high degree of competitiveness and aggressive acquisitiveness.

Nevertheless, religions have been with us since time immemorial and are bound to remain with us because they meet a very vital need in humans. That is, an abiding sense of their worth. The person of deep spirituality and wisdom always commands wide public respect and devotion and these attributes account for the timeless reverence and loyalty major religious leaders have commanded over the millennia. These eminent persons are the proof that the human being is of inestimable value, regardless of the position he/she holds in life and irrespective of the quantum of material wealth he/she owns.

Needless to say, Gautama Buddha is one such religious leader and His message of reverence and compassion for all living beings has been accepted and inculcated readily by the people of this country over the centuries on account of its lasting validity and value.

At a time when nation-building has come to the forefront of public affairs, the Buddha's message would prove a great healer of wounds and a catalyst in bridge-building among our communities. In other words, the Buddha's timeless words would prove most handy in the present when the communities of this land need to relate to each other in intense understanding and care.

Forgiving and forgetting, therefore, is sorely needed in this land at present. The wounds wrought by the 30 year conflict should be allowed to completely heal and every effort must be made to ensure that they are not opened afresh. This could be achieved, to a considerable degree, if the public of this land practices the teachings of the Buddha. Our religious and other leaders need to take it upon themselves to ensure that this would be really so.