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Hate attacks by Buddhists - what do you make of this?
- Thread starter sandandfoam
- Start date
There is a lot more going on there than meets the eye. There is ethnic, linguistic, and bloodline feuding. The west tends to write it all from a religious perspective. The Sinhala-Tamil war was/is Buddhist and Christian Sinhalese versus Christian, Muslim, and Hindu Tamils.
I have lots of Sri Lankan friends, still I have a very poor understanding of what went on, and continues to go on. In short, it's complicated.
It does seem, however, that centuries of conflict has had an odd effect on the Buddhist monks.
What I make of it?
First, that we should be realistic. Buddhists, even Buddhist Monks, are people and they may easily behave unwisely, even destructively. There is really no way around that.
Second, lacking actual knowledge of the situation I am inclined to agree with Vinayaka. To put it on my own words, I assume that the conflicts are not about matters of faith alone. Violence rarely happens without more mundane tensions fueling them - matters of national pride, of demographic pressure, of scarcity of territory or other resources, of political unease.
Third, there is no excuse for violence, particularly when it involves actually killing others. Those Buddhist People, and the Monks above all, must reconsider their ways immediately.
First, that we should be realistic. Buddhists, even Buddhist Monks, are people and they may easily behave unwisely, even destructively. There is really no way around that.
Second, lacking actual knowledge of the situation I am inclined to agree with Vinayaka. To put it on my own words, I assume that the conflicts are not about matters of faith alone. Violence rarely happens without more mundane tensions fueling them - matters of national pride, of demographic pressure, of scarcity of territory or other resources, of political unease.
Third, there is no excuse for violence, particularly when it involves actually killing others. Those Buddhist People, and the Monks above all, must reconsider their ways immediately.
Buddhists, nice as so many are to me, suffer from the failing of being mere humans.
To be fair, it is often difficult to separate the matters. But I have a hard time believing violent episodes happen out of divergent beliefs alone.
I too doubt that beliefs alone are the main reason for most of the violence. I'm sure there are many who have been involved in such episodes who really did what they did because of religious belief alone, but, on the other hand, I doubt it is 100% of the reason in any given instance in history that "religious violence" has happened. There are usually political motives, racism, tension caused from historical conflict etc. Involved.
Alceste
Vagabond
All wars are about resource competition. To compete for resources, you need somebody to compete with, and a crew to help you compete. Religion is one simple way to categorize others as friend or foe in a war over resources, especially when your "foe" is culturally and ethnically almost indistinguishable from you.
The original resource, in this particular case. was education. Once the government decided to put in a quota system on who can go to post-graduate, the situation has gone down hill. There have been other fuels added to the flame, but thet was a key one in the beginning.
I think, don't take everything you read in the News at face value. News sources have a vested interest in increasing readership so are likely to sensationalize things beyond the reality of the event.
Someone got killed, someone else did it. Motives? Not sure we will ever really know that.
Someone got killed, someone else did it. Motives? Not sure we will ever really know that.
I make of it that Buddhists are human, too. I don't like the blame the whole of any organization by the deeds of a few.
Secret Chief
nirvana is samsara
I'm hoping that's not possible.
A tangential matter is that we have become so jaded that this very thread is speaking about murder almost as if "just happened".
Sigh. If I had any doubts about whether we kept any worthy lessons from World War 2, they would be put to rest now.
Sigh. If I had any doubts about whether we kept any worthy lessons from World War 2, they would be put to rest now.
Statistically, Buddhists are still most likely less prone to religious inspired violence than people of several other religions. I don't think that has been changed by the events in Sri Lanka.
But I think the events in Sri Lanka are reminders that we humans are by our nature predisposed to violence.
But I think the events in Sri Lanka are reminders that we humans are by our nature predisposed to violence.
And of how hollow labels are as justifications. Not only as justification of discrimination and prejudice, but also as justification of assuming the best.
Indeed.
sandandfoam
Veteran Member
In the broadest of terms I can't think of a contemporary religion I admire that has not been associated with killing other people.
What I make of this is that even the most benign religious message can be twisted into something corrupt and toxic. It further convinces me that religion should be more private than public.
What I make of this is that even the most benign religious message can be twisted into something corrupt and toxic. It further convinces me that religion should be more private than public.
