Every religion has its extreme violent expression. Recall the crusaders who wanted to kill every one who did not accept Christ, as an infidel. We have seen it in other widespread religions whether it is Islam, with the new Islamists called the Islamic State ISIS and Hindus. But what seems so incongruous and striking and tragic is that this intolerance has expressed itself in violence., cruelty of the worst kind amongst the Buddhists. This seems unimaginable when we visualise or when we bring to our minds the Buddha. It is all Om Shanti Shanti Shanti. Eyes closed, meditating, Peace. And yet Buddhists have turned out to be some of the most viciously violent communities.
Recall Sri Lanka. Buddhists were on a rampage against Muslims and then of course the Tamils and even now continue to hold the state at bay.
Now we see its expression in Myanmar. It is difficult to imagine that Buddhists are now not only killing but also enabling the exodus of Rohingya families — children women and aged are running across dangerously. I ask myself this: What would the Buddha have thought of these followers? Intolerance is one thing but terrorising others is another.
I am devoted to the Dalai Lama. He is an extraordinary human being who holds his spirituality at his finger tips — so genial, so unfussy. A ‘Man of the People’ as they would say.
I went to Dharamsala some years ago as his guest and went through all the expressions of Buddhism. There is a sense in which the best of Buddhism, peace and humanitarianism, is tangible. All these are rare spaces where Buddhism is not part of the government religion. But in the case of both Sri Lanka and now in Myanmar, Buddhism is the state religion and we see Buddhism at its terrorist worst. It is cruelty apart from intolerance and it is almost militant intolerance.
I cannot help thinking how this large population of monks could be at peace when they are preying upon minorities — persons from other religions. How does one shame them! How does one tell them that this is not Buddhism?
Devaki Jain,
New Delhi
