The Buddhist perspectives on the role of religion in society

I Introduction: The purpose: To understand the Buddhist perspectives on the role of religion in society what the role of the religion ? what are the influences of religion ? how to deal with religion and politic ? how to deal with the conflict ? how to live under the conflict?

we will interview some professors(3), teachers(2) and students(3).

To the masses, Islam, of all the major world religions today is unfortunately seen as a violent religion promoting ‘jihad’ and unrest in societies. Do you agree to this? Why and why not?

Kitichai

II The conclusion of interview:

There are seven of teachers and students interview agree in the violence, but there are some one have explain that not all the Moslems are bad. Those who are secular minded, they are good. If we see the humanity, every people want to live happily no one wants to die or harm others. Religion is religion when there is talk about peace and happiness. However, the situation of Buddhism in Bangladesh now is very dangerous. They abuse any group of people, the Buddhism is also one of victim of this opinion. Really Islam is trying to propagate their religion for the attacking other religion. They used the weapon to persecute the Buddhism because they believe that Buddhism is like something attacks their religion. In order to prevent Muslim from other region, they operated the persecution for the Buddhism. Some Muslim see another innocence people die, they are so happy. But they don’t know the result. It’s very destruction power. They make all Muslim in the problems.

Therefore the people must have the freedom to accept any religion according to their own view. The purpose of religion should make the person good, to consider the benefit own and others,  we should live without killing each others by idealism or the method of untruth belief. Buddhism emphasizes on non-violence. For instance, five moralities of Buddha’s teaching suggest human beings to practice for the good of many and out of compassion such as the first morality is not to kill not only human but also animals. On the other hand, the Buddha teaches us to practice compassion and loving-kindness in order to bring the peace and happiness for all beings.

2) Conventionally, may we know how we should view such incidences? In your opinion, apart from our usual Buddhist non-violent mind set and approaches, would there be any other likely measurement/s to effectively mediate such long-enduring conflict. Could you please suggest?

CuiYanju

We should know the Buddhism, other religious people who are not Muslim are in the dangerous situation from these conflicts.

Mr. Peerapong: The concepts of the Muslim mostly are exclusivism.

Muhammad arose his follows to initiate the wars to go against his enemy. Compare with Christianity, Jesus's action is very different from Muhammad.

Prof. Kapila says: Muslin are very mad at their religion, very rude and roughly in the fundamentalism. Common belief: To propagate their religion, it’s not the wrong thing to kill other religion people .

The characteristics of Muslim, almost interviews agree

that the Buddhism's compassion and love-kindness is u

seless for the Muslin. In early Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kash

mir, and India are evidences as Ven. Piyaratana mentioned.

Even though, the interviews still give some suggesti

ons:

Mr. Peerapong :

The religion can resolve this problem, such as Jesus's act

ion . Vs.

Ven. Rahula’s:

But in Bangladesh, Muslims also attack Hindus and Christ

ians.

Mr. Peerapong and Prof. Kapila mention to accept their desires, respect their believes if it’s reasonable. Ven. Sumeda: Due to the human rights, both the government and United Nations and the international community should have the responsibilities.

Human rights are inherent to all human beings in equal without discrimination.

The fact proved that government is the important role. Within ten months all the temples were rebuilt by the government itself in Bangladesh.

Ven. Rahula: The proper education and dialogue are necessary. The legislative rules and regulations should be strict and the culprits should be punished.

To compare with these non-violence ways, Prof. Jamspal provides the contradiction way: The Buddhists should fight back in the right way. They have the merits because they protect the innocence people.

-- In the sixth chapter “Zen and the Bodhisattva”

3. Do you think that religion should be separated from politics and governance? If yes, why so and how could this be done, seeing that religion is very much an integral part of any given society.

(Loch Savong)

The religions should not separate from the politics and government but they have to combine with government in the right way. If without the government and society, the religion cannot stay permanently, for example if the Buddhist monks practice in the right way and response the Buddha’s teachings, the people who live in the society including the government also accept their behaviors, but, if they practice in the wrong way, those people cannot be accepted their behaviors at all. Because as the Buddhist monks have to teach the people in the right way. So the government and religious cabinet should be interfere, they should put some relations and cooperation between religion and government. This is the good way to connect both together, if they separate from each other, for example, if the Buddhist Sangha has the problem in society, so the government officers should have the main role in solution.

Some countries recommend the Buddhism or any religion as the religion of state that means the government accepts religion as the part of governmental policy, for example Sri Lanka, Cambodia and so on. Because the government wants the people live by harmony in the same religion, but there are some countries which do not accept any religion as the religion of the state, because they want to provide the religion from the government. Government has function as the referee when there are some problems between religion and religion.

Ven. Meschai

Everyone should know the doctrine and history of other religions. Doctrine and history can make you understand the nature of that religion. When you understand this doesn’t mean that you should convert them to the Buddhism or to other religion. But understand the nature of each other, and then accept the individual value. As the Buddhist, we have to accept the advice from the Buddha. It is the highest ethic of the practice. So that is specially applied in the monastery who have influenced in this accident.

You may be hurt because something, you maybe have the idea of retaliate. If you retaliate, that’s the wrong. It’s maybe the violence. It’s the nature of violence. Do this start from very small reason, just like the fire, it spread quickly all over the country. Otherwise, fighting is never stopped by the fighting. Violence cannot be stopped by violence, but by the non-violence. If there is the violence, you should fight in right way.

Do not directly involve in conflicts with the religious war, but try to take help from the government system. If they do not get support from the country law they need to think of moving from there and find out a peaceful place. We should make counterattack in the peaceful way and let them now that we are not weak, but just peaceful people.

We have to try to create an environment where all people are educated and do not have blind faiths regarding their religions. We can make them understand that it’s the nature, there is good, bad thing, good or bad religion. They may be completely conflict and war problem between the people, that’s the nature of the world.

If anyone wants to kill you, you should protect yourself, because the life is the very important than another thing. Therefore the Buddhism accepts that strategy. That is why the Buddhism emphasize don’t kill others. Because first you love your life, nobody can hurt your life. If someone wants to hurt you it’s your duty to protect you.

In the same way, but the Buddhist doesn’t allow any people to kill others. For the purpose of protection, you maybe do something. But you cannot make them die, that means intentionally killing. As far as possible, you try to prevent this accident which is going to happen. First, protect yourself and innocent people from such accident or violence.

5. What role/s would you foresee our present Bangladeshi students here being the youth and masters of future generations play to lessen the suffering of their brethrens back home? 

(Ven. Winai)

The Buddhist situation in Bangladesh can do to be a fiction it depend in one night Buddhist temple were burn by Muslim people, they think that Buddhist people disparage the Quran and his religion. So first we have to understand the habit of other religions, and Muslim that they have some violence

again other religions.

So when the Buddhist in Bangladesh live in muslim community have to pay attention and improve that the Buddhism is not

dangerous religion for the Muslim. So we have the compassion, do the good thing, follow the teachings of the Buddha, and improve that the Buddhism is g

ood for other religions.

III Conclusion:

we should understand and accept the nature of religions, accept the diversity, shouldn’t criticize other religions. we should be the good Buddhists according to the teachings of the Buddha protect ourselves and innocence people without harm. keep the calm without retaliate maintain the peace and happy in the world through Buddhism compassion and loving-kindness.