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CharismaCharisma inin BuddhismBuddhism By Ven. Piyasilo HAN DD ET U 'S B B O RY eOK LIBRA E-mail: [email protected] Web site: www.buddhanet.net Buddha Dharma Education Association Inc. Charisma in Buddhism? sociological and doctrinal study of charisma, this book discusses three A past Buddhist workers — Father Sumaṅgalo, Ānanda Maṅgala Mahā. nāyaka Thera, Dr. Wong Phui Weng — and a living master, the charis­ matic Ajahn Yantra Amaro of Siam. Among other topics discussed are • Types of charisma • Genius, leadership and charisma • The Buddha as a charismatic leader • The Sangha and the routinization of charisma • Exploiting charisma • The disadvantages of charisma • Buddhist Suttas relating to charisma The Buddhist Currents series deals with topics of current interest relating to Buddhism in society today. Each title, a preprint from Buddhism, History and Society, gives a balanced treatment between academic views and Bud­ dhist doctrine to help understand the tension that exists today between religion (especially Buddhism) and society. Titles in the series (available where year is mentioned): • Buddhism, History and Society: Towards a postmodern perspective • Buddhist Currents: A brief social analysis of Buddhism in Sri Lanka and Siam (1992a) • Buddhism, Merit and Ideology • Charisma in Buddhism (1992h) Dharmafarer Enterprises P.O. Box 388, Jalan Sultan, 46740 Petaling Jaya, Malaysia ISBN 983 9030 10 8 Commemorating the Venerable Piyasīlo’s 20 Years of Monkhood A study of the work of Father Sumaṅgalo, Ānanda Maṅgala Mahā.nāyaka Thera and Dr. Wong Phui Weng in Malaysia and Singapore & Phra Ajahn Yantra Amaro [being a preprint of Buddhism, Society and History: towards a postmodern perspective] by Piyasīlo Dharmafarer Enterprises for The Community Of Dharmafarers 1992h [II:6.3–6.8] The Buddhist Currents Series This title forms part of the main work, Buddhism, History and Society (1992g) by Piyasīlo. Due to its length and for the sake of a balanced treat­ ment of topics in the main book, this segment has been issued separately as a preprint but maintaining the original number sequence of the main book with which it should be used. In this way, individual topics of spe­ cial interest are made cheaply available even before the main title has been released. Some sections of the books listed below may not have as much details or as many references as the author would like them to have. This shortcoming is due to his Dharmafarer Libraries being withheld by the Friends of Buddhism Malaysia, which he left in 1991 to work with the Community of Dharmafarers. The author welcomes your criticisms and suggestions. The Buddhist Currents titles include: (1) Buddhism, History and Society: Towards a postmodern perspective (1992g). Main text. (2) Buddhist Currents: A brief social analysis of Buddhism in Sri Lanka and Siam (1992a). I.30.2–30.322. (3) Buddhism, Merit and Ideology: Some aspects of Buddhism in Siam today (1992f). I.30.33–30.37. (4) Charisma in Buddhism: A study of the work of Father Sumaṅgalo, Ānanda Maṅgala Mahā.nāyaka Thera and Dr. Wong Phui Weng in Malaysia and Singapore & Yantra Amaro (1992h). II:6.3–6.8. The Community of Dharmafarers P.O. Box 388, Jalan Sultan 46740 Petaling Jaya, Malaysia. Computer artwork by Dh. Ratnapāṇī Film output by Dh. Vidyânanda Publisher and sole distributor: Dharmafarer Enterprises P.O. Box 388, Jalan Sultan 46740 Petaling Jaya, Malaysia. ©1992 by the author. ISBN 983 9030 10 8 Dedicated to our Past and Present and a Dharmic vision of the future to The Buddhist Graduates And Professionals of Malaysia and Singapore the pupils, supporters, admirers and emulators of the Venerable (Dr.) Sumaṅgalo, DLitt the Venerable Wattala Ānanda Maṅgala Mahā.nāyaka Mahā.thera ‘Saddharma.kīrti Śrī Paṇḍita Dhamm’āloka Vaṃsa-d,dhvaja’ late Chief High Priest of the Amarapura Nayāka in Malaysia and Singapore and Dr. Dharmapāla Wong Phui Weng, PhD ‘Anak cucu jadi saksi.’ (Posterity will bear witness) vi Piyasīlo & the Community of Dharmafarers iyasīlo started life as a monk in Singapore in 1970. After his P5-year basic monastic training in Siam, he worked in Melaka, Petaling Jaya, Singapore and elsewhere running national resi- dential Dharma courses. As a Buddhist writer, his work cover children’s books, textbooks, doctrinal discussion and translations of Pali texts (especially the Sutta Nipāta). Besides running open meditation retreats, Piyasīlo introduced basic meditation into the campus Buddhist curriculum. In 1983, he founded the Singapore Buddhist Youth Fellow­ ship, later called The Friends of Buddhism Singapore (1986). As one of the pioneers of the Buddhist Studies project for Singa­ pore secondary schools (1981–1992), he was instrumental in its success, serving as Resource Consultant and lecturer to the Buddhist Studies Team of the Curriculum Development Insti­ tute of Singapore. In February 1981, he founded the Damansara Buddhist Vihara, followed by the Friends of Buddhism Malaysia in June 1984. In the late 1980s, Apple Computer featured him in ‘A day in the life of an Apple user’ for Southeast Asia. Among more than 40 titles he had written are Avalokitesvara, Mandala and the Five Buddhas, Nichiren, Charisma in Buddhism and Buddhism, History and Society. In 1991, at the threshold of his Third Decade of Dharma work, Piyasīlo renounced ‘association Buddhism’ to work on his own as a socially­engaged Buddhist with the Community of Dharmafarers, comprising Dharmacaris or full-time com­ munitarian lay Buddhist workers. Piyasīlo and the Dharma­ caris are interested in how local Buddhists think and work in order to understand and solve their problems, and to seek ideas vii that would be conducive towards the building of a wholesome Buddhist Community based on Right Livelihood. One of the continued efforts of the Community is Bud- dhist research and the the production of books such as this one. Since the Community comprises of full-time voluntary workers, your Dharma-spirited assistance is most welcome. The official organ of the Community is the Svara, a quarterly journal. viii Contents Piyasīlo & the Community of Dharmafarers .............................................. vii Preface ..................................................................................................................................... xii Abbreviations ................................................................................................................... xiv II:6.3 Sumaṅgalo (Robert Stuart Clifton) (1903–1963) ....... 1 6.31 The FMBYF ............................................................................... 4 6.32 Sumaṅgalo’s Sangha disciples ................................ 9 6.33 Sumaṅgalo and Buddhism ...................................... 13 6.331 Sumaṅgalo in Malaya ....................................................... 15 6.332 Why did the ‘Sumaṅgalo era’ end? ......................... 16 6.34 Why the FMBYF failed ................................................ 17 6.35 Review of Sumaṅgalo’s contributions .......... 22 II:6.4 W. Ānanda Maṅgala (1917–1986) ....................................... 27 6.41 Ānanda Maṅgala in Melaka .................................. 32 6.42 AM: what he did, what he was ............................ 33 6.43 A sociology of scandal [cf III:1 2] ...................... 36 6.44 AM in Singapore .............................................................. 40 6.441 World tours ............................................................................... 41 6.442 SBYO and the ‘Buddhist Oasis’ ............................... 49 6.45 AM as I knew him ........................................................... 51 6.46 Review of AM: the man and his work ......... 54 ix II:6.5 Dr. Wong Phui Weng, PhD (1936–1988) ........................ 58 6.51 The Neo-Buddhists ......................................................... 61 6.511 Saddhamma Buddhist Society .................................... 65 6.52 Syarikat Dharma .............................................................. 66 6.53 Mettā and Bha Vana ..................................................... 67 6.54 Review of Wong’s work ............................................. 69 II:6.6 Sumaṅgalo, Ānanda Maṅgala, Dr. Wong contrasts ......................... 74 II:6.7 Charisma ...................................................................................................... 77 6.71 Power and authority ..................................................... 86 6.711 Types of charisma ................................................................ 89 6.712 Genius and charisma ......................................................... 93 6.713 Charisma or popularity? ................................................. 95 6.714 Symbols of charisma .......................................................... 98 6.715 Routinization of charisma ........................................... 100 6.716 Charisma and after ........................................................... 102 6.72 Charisma and leadership ....................................... 105 6.721 The Buddha as a charismatic Leader ................. 106 6.722 Charisma and Saddharma .......................................... 109 6.723 The Sangha and routinization of charisma .... 113 6.73 Charismatic leaders ..................................................... 116 x 6.731 Charisma and ‘greatness’ ............................................. 119 6.74 Three types of leadership ...................................... 121 6.75 Exploiting charisma ...................................................

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