No doubt you've read news stories about Buddhists, including monks, attacking Rohingya Muslims in Burma. I have written about this only a little, because I have no particular insight into what is happening in Burma. As they say, I only know what I read in the papers.
Now I've found an article in the New York Times by Swe Win, a freelance journalist based in Yangon, that makes the situation a little clearer for me. Swe Win writes that during the recent decades of military rule, the monastic sangha became less of a refuge in the Three Jewels and more of a way for young men and boys to escape poverty. As a result, many wearing the saffron robe really aren't that keen on dharma.
Swe Win writes that, growing up, he spent summers studying in monasteries. "Rather than focus on meditation, the monks practiced astrology to attract donations and were busy collecting household objects as alms," he says. Monks own cars and televisions and sometimes gamble. An abbot told Swe Win that only old people are interested in spirituality.
"Worse, the monks I met during those summers viewed the Sangha as a sect, displaying little regard for other faiths and much indifference for the universal nature of Buddha's teachings. As long as Myanmar is unstable politically and economically, the order will remain a refuge for people in trouble but also, in some cases, a breeding ground for sectarianism."
As I said, this is about the first thing I've read that clarified anything for me. Do read the entire article.
No comments:
Post a Comment