SEEDS OF PEACE Vol.28 No.3 Sept.-Dec. 2555 (2012)

Peace is the Manifestation of Human Compassion SEEDS OF *

Editor & Publisher CONTENTS Sulak Sivaraksa www.sulak-sivaraksa.org www.sivaraksa.com 4 Editorial Notes Cover Neranchala River at Bodh Gaya Country Reports by Nguyen Xuan Viet 5 Malaysia: Towards a US-Sponsored “Regime Change” Chandra Muzaffar Lay-out 6 India: Thousands Wish the Dalai Lama a Happy Birthday Phayul.com Song Sayam., Ltd. 8 ASEAN: South China Sea Disputes Aileen Baviera Tel. (662) 225-9533-5 9 Burma: Love Thy Neighbor—Thai-Burmese Relations Aung Zaw Published by 12 Laos: Asia Europe People’s Forum in Vientiane Hans van Willenswaard SEM 15 Siam: M. L. Bunluea Thepyasuwan : A Civilized Woman Susan F. Kepner Tel. & Fax: (662) 314-7385-6 16 Siam: Secret Doctrine of Wat Phra Dhammakaya Mano Laohavanich & TICD 18 Japan: Japanese Buddhists’ Increasing Involvement Tel. (662) 438-9331-2 in Anti-Nuclear Activism Jonathan S. Watts Fax: (662) 860-1277 21 Sri Lanka: Detainees and Detention Centers & 23 South Korea: China Boycotts Religious Event Over Tibet Presence INEB 24 Tibet: News from the Dalai Lama Jonathan Mirsky Tel. (662) 860-2194 email: [email protected] www.inebnetwork.org INEB 26 Letter from the Secretariat Office Distributed by Suksit Siam 27 2012 INEB Executive Meeting and International Forum 113-115 Fuangnakhorn Rd. 28 Visions of an Empowered Future Bangkok 10200 31 Lesbian Couple to Take Vows in Nation’s Dhamma Master Shih Chao-hwei Tel.(662)2259536-40 First Public Buddhist Same-Sex Union Fax: (662) 222-5188 email: [email protected] Sulak Sivaraksa Baht 100 per issue suggested annual 32 Harmonizing Life with the Waterways subscription US$ 50 34 The Role of the University in the Promotion of Human Rights Payment info in the Southern Provinces Please send a cheque payable to -Anchalee Karutach Articles 1795 O’Farrell St. Apt. 101, 37 The Cinderella Economy Tim Jackson San Francisco, CA 94115, 38 Destroying the Commons Noam Chomsky USA for US$ 43 The Buddha’s Enlightenment for the Well-Being of Humanity Phra Bhavanaviteht -Mingmanas Sivaraksa 127 Soi Santipap, Nares Road, Bangrak, Bangkok 10500 49 Letters Siam for £ -Hans van Willenswaard Book Reviews 77,79 Fuang Nakorn Rd, 54 The Lady and the Peacock Hnin Wathan Wat Rajabopit, Bangkok, Siam 10200 for Euro 55 Happiness Beyond Measure Jane Rasbash -Jill Jameson 56 Powers That Be: Pridi Banomyong Benedict Anderson 6 Hamilton Road, Warrandyte, Victoria 3113, Australia 58 Recommended Readings for Australian dollars

* Monument of Charoen Wat-aksorn, the Thai commoner who fought nonviolently for land rights of the people and who was assassinated by the land lord. Why the Santi Pracha Dhamma Prize is Being Awarded to PEACE Mr. Phongcharat Ruayrum Fifty-six-year-old Phongcharat Ruayrum was born on 20 October 1956 in Surat Thani province. He finished high school Seeds of Peace is published thrice annually from Benjama Rachuthit Nakorn Sri Thammarat School and in January, May and September, in order to obtained his bachelor and master degrees from the Faculty of promote the aims and objectives of the Thai Law, Ramkhamhaeng University. He also was awarded with a Inter-Religious Commission for Development certificate in conflict resolution from King Prajadhipok’s (TICD) and the Spirit in Education Movement Institute. (SEM) as well as the International Network Phongcharat has led a diverse but coherent legal career. He of Engaged Buddhists (INEB). In order to started as a lawyer at the Seni Pramoj law office. Later, he served subscribe a $50/year donation is suggested. as secretary to Associate Professor Somsak Singhapan, who was Personal checks from the UK, US, and Euro then dean of the Faculty of Law, Ramkhamhaeng University. are accepted. Subsequently, he had a political career during the Prem Tinsulanonda premiership. These diverse experiences made To contact Seeds of Peace: Phongcharat a legal expert with well-rounded and profound 666 Charoen-Nakorn Road knowledge and gave him friends from all walks of life. Always Klongsan, Bangkok 10600, Siam hungry for knowledge, he reads voraciously especially in Tel. (662) 860-2194 philosophy and often engages in lively debates with friends. Fax: (662) 860-1277 These traits make him much more than an ordinary lawyer: he is email:[email protected] also a seeker for justice. www.sulak-sivaraksa.org Phongcharat is highly principled. He is especially concerned about helping the excluded, marginalized and oppressed in INEB society. He is outspoken, direct and morally courageous 666 Charoen-Nakorn Road particularly in the face of the powers that be. As such, he has been Klongsan, Bangkok 10600, Siam a dear friend to many of the oppressed and marginalized. For Tel. (662) 860-2194 email: [email protected] many, he has also been their best hope to win justice. For instance, www.inebnetwork.org the Buddhist Phongcharat has actively worked with Muslim compatriots in the Deep South of the country to end oppression The goals of INEB are to: and redress human rights violations in numerous cases. He has 1. Promote understanding and co-operation served as lawyer to several suspected insurgents and has worked among Buddhist countries, different to build trust between state officials and religious clerics in the Buddhist sects, and socially conscious South. Buddhist groups. When Phongcharat was on the human rights subcommittee 2. Facilitate and carry out solutions to the of the National Human Rights Commission he devoted his life to many problems facing our communities, helping others in many ways. He initiated a program to provide societies, and world. suspected insurgents in the Deep South with basic skills for work 3. Articulate the perspective of Engaged Bud- and to win their hearts and minds in exchange for not being put on dhism regarding these problems and train trial by the state. This program was initiated at great personal risk, Buddhist activists accordingly. but Phongcharat never deviated from this path. 4. Serve as a clearing house of information on At present, Phongcharat Ruayrum is serving as advisor to the existing Engaged Buddhist groups. 4th Military Region Command and to the Chief Public Prosesutor 5. Cooperate with activists from other of the Thonburi Criminal Court and a guest lecturer at various spiritual traditions. universities. Phongcharat Ruayrum has shunned wealth, fame and social Spirit in Education Movement (SEM) approval. As faith in the country’s laws is experiencing crisis, the 29/15 Ramkhamhaeng 21 (Nawasee) presence of a principled and devoted lawyer like Phongcharat Ramkhamhaeng Road is like a candle of hope illuminating the way towards justice for Wangthonglang, Bang Kapi many people in Thai society. It is thus highly appropriate to Bangkok 10310, Siam present him with the Santi Pracha Dhamma Award in honor of Tel. (662) 314-7385-6 Puey Ungphakorn. email: [email protected] 16 August 2555 Editorial Notes

Siam is supposed to be a Buddhist kingdom. Although Buddhism is not legally established as the national religion, the King is constitutionally a Buddhist and patron of all religions. The majority of the population also claims to be Buddhist. What does this mean? The Royal Thai Government did not allow the Dalai Lama or his sister to enter the Buddhist kingdom, which is apparently under Chinese regional hegemony. Do the majority of Thai Buddhists understand the essential teachings of Buddha? Do they know how to transform greed into generosity, hatred into loving-kindness and delusion into wisdom or real understanding—as these seem to be the essence of all schools of Buddhism? Many Buddhists are devout and learned but do they know how to tackle structural violence and how to live mindfully in a world dominated by consumerism and the round-the-clock media advertisements. How about the endless ceremonies on making Buddha images and sacred amulets which combine superstition with spiritual commercialism?

Since this year is the 2,600th anniversary of Buddha’s supreme enlightenment (in May) and the first turning of the Wheel of the Dharma (in August), many cerebrations are being held in most Buddhist countries. We suggest a humble approach from the Siamese perspective—a number of committed Buddhists including Bhikkhu, Bhikhuni, Upasaka and Upasika, should form a committee to: 1) select essential Thai books on Buddhism—from elementary to advanced—for ordinary people to read for basic understanding of the Dhamma; and 2) translate them into various languages such as English, French, German, Burmese, Laotian, Khmer, Vietnamese, Chinese, Korean, Hindi, Tamil, Bahasa Indonesia, Tibetan etc. to share our Siamese understanding of the Dhamma with friends beyond the kingdom.

Further, we will recommend general books on Buddhism available in the Thai market for the study and practice of the Dhamma. These books may be written in Thai or translated into Thai from foreign languages. We should also recommend Buddhist books in foreign languages for the Thai public to read or to have them translated into Thai.

We are certain that there will be enough sponsors willing to provide the necessary time, energy and funds for us to accomplish this humble task in order to properly celebrate the 2600th anniversary of Buddha’s enlightenment—as the gift of Dhamma is the best of all gifts.

We regret to state that our good friend JOHN LANE passed away on 17th August 2012. His obituary will appear in the next issue.

4 SEEDS OF PEACE Country Reports

Malaysia: Towards a US Sponsored “Regime Change” in Malaysia?

In his widely read blog (13 between the two, one has to urging the US government to February 2012), the former reflect on Obama’s Cairo speech persuade the Malaysian govern- Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dr. on 4th June 2009 which stated ment to “act with wisdom” in Mahathir Mohammad, criticizes explicitly that “The United Anwar’s trial. A day before he the politics of regime change States does not accept the le- was acquitted, on 8th January pursued by the United States of gitimacy of continued Israeli 2012, The Washington Post in an America. settlements” but in reality the editorial warned that “ If the ver- He is concerned that Ma- formal leader has had to yield to dict fails that test (Malaysia’s laysia may also be a target for the Zionists and the Christian commitment to democracy and regime change. And the US can- Right who are enthusiastic pro- the rule of law) there should be didate to head the new regime, moters of Zionist expansion at consequences for Mr. Najib’s which will be in full, complete the expense of the Palestinians. relations with Washington.” support of US policies, he says, Anwar’s entry into the deep state This was an undisguised, un- is none other than the Leader of was through his close friendship abashed attempt by one of the the Opposition, Anwar Ibrahim. with Paul Wolfowitz, the former media pillars of the deep state to Why should the US government US Deputy Secretary of Defence pressurize a sovereign nation to seek regime change in Malaysia and one of the staunchest cham- submit to its will. Two, if Anwar when the present Prime Minister, pions of Zionist power. It was is the darling of the deep state in Najib Razak, has sought to fur- mainly because of Wolfowitz the US, it is partly because of his ther strengthen ties with Wash- that Anwar became the first stand on Israel. In an interview ington? He has even employed Chairman of the Foundation for with The Wall Street Journal on a Washington based public the Future in 2005, an organisa- 26 January 2012, he reiterated his relations firm, Apco, to boost tion established ostensibly to support for “all efforts to protect Malaysia’s image in the US. promote democracy in West the security of the state of Israel.” Najib’s personal relations with Asia and North Africa (WANA) It should be emphasised here US President, Barack Obama, are whose real purpose is to perpe- that support for Israeli security— supposed to be “excellent.” And tuate US-Israeli hegemony over contrary to what he is saying yet it is quite conceivable that the the region. Even before this, in now—was not contingent on forces that shape Washington’s 1998, in the midst of the Asian “Israel respecting the aspirations attitude towards Malaysian financial crisis, Anwar was of the Palestinians.” In the inter- politics and political leaders espousing an IMF type solution view Israel’s security stands by may prefer Anwar to Najib for a to the nation’s economic woes itself. It is diplomatic recogni- number of reasons. thus revealing his political tion of Israel that Anwar links to One, while Najib may have orientation. Palestinian aspirations. some rapport with formal leaders This is why during his first Placing Israel’s security on a and the formal state, it is Anwar two trials for abuse of power and pedestal is the sort of gesture that who has intimate links with the sodomy between 1998 and 2004 the deep state and Zionists the “deep state” in the US system. and during his recent trial for world over laud, especially if the It is the deep state represented sodomy, the mainstream West- advocate is a Muslim leader. For by powerful interests such as ern media went out of its way Israel’s security has become the the Zionist lobbies, the Christian to demand that the Malaysian justification for all its policies Right, the big wigs on Wall Street, authorities acquit Anwar. Wol- of occupation, annexation and the oil barons, the arms mer- fowitz and former US Vice-Presi- aggression in the last 63 years. chants and the media Moghuls dent, Al Gore, even penned a Israel’s security is the albatross which is in effective control. joint opinion piece in the Wall around the neck of the dispos- To appreciate the distinction Street Journal on 4th August 2010 sessed Palestinians and other

Vol.28 No.3 5 Country Reports

Arabs who have lost their land threat to its neighbours and to the The current Malaysian lead- and dignity to the occupying US’s dominant role in the Asia- ership does not fit the bill. It has power. It is obvious that by Pacific. Establishing a military sustained and deepened the bond acknowledging the primacy of base in Darwin, resurrecting the of friendship between Malaysia Israeli security, Anwar was US’s military alliance with the and China through increased sending a clear message to the Philippines, coaxing Japan to bilateral trade and investments. deep state and to Tel Aviv and play a more overt military role in China is Malaysia’s biggest trad- Washington—that he is someone the region, instigating Vietnam to ing partner globally and Malaysia that they could trust. In contrast, confront China over the Spratly is China’s biggest trading partner the Najib government, in spite islands, and encouraging India to within ASEAN. China is most of its attempts to get closer to counterbalance Chinese power, appreciative of the fact that Ma- Washington, remains critical of are all part and parcel of the laysia under the late Tun Razak Israeli aggression and intransi- larger US agenda of encircling was the first non-communist gence. Najib has described the and containing China. In pursu- country in Southeast Asia to es- Israeli government as a “serial ing this agenda the US wants re- tablish diplomatic relations with killer” and a “gangster.” This has liable allies—not just friends— China in 1974. When his son incensed the deep state. Anwar, in Asia. In this regard, Malaysia Najib became Prime Minister in on the other hand, told Zionist is important because of its posi- April 2009, China was the first friends in Washington two years tion as a littoral state with sover- country outside ASEAN that he ago that he regretted using terms eign rights over the Straits of visited. In a number of regional such as “Zionist aggression” Melaka which is one of China’s and international forums, Malay- (Jackson Diehl “Flirting with most critical supply routes that sia has maintained that China is zealotry in Malaysia” The Wash- transports much of the oil and not a threat to its neighbours and ington Post 28 June 2010). other materials vital for its eco- does not seek global dominance. Three, Anwar is the choice nomic development. Will the These are views that do not of the deep state for another rea- containment of China lead to a accord with the deep state’s son which in its own reckoning situation where the hegemon bellicose stance towards China. is becoming almost as important determined to perpetuate its do- It explains why the deep state as Israel. This is the rise of China minant power seeks to exercise may be inclined towards regime and what it means for US global control over the Straits in order change in Kuala Lumpur. hegemony. Elements within the to curb China’s ascendancy? Chandra Muzaffar, deep state appear to have con- Would a trusted ally in Kuala 21 June 2012 vinced Obama that China is a Lumpur facilitate such control? Source: www.globalresearch.ca ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ India: Thousands Wish the Dalai Lama a Happy Birthday in Dharamshala

Thousands of Tibetans, In- The Dalai Lama was wel- battery of Indian dignitaries to dians, Chinese, and foreign comed at the official function by receive His Holiness. tourists filled the courtyard of Gyalwang Karmapa Rinpoche, Speaking on behalf of Tibet- the Tsug-la Khang, the main the Tibetan Supreme Justice ans inside and outside Tibet and temple in Dharamsala today to Commissioners, Kalon Tripa Dr the Central Tibetan Administra- wish His Holiness the Dalai Lobsang Sangay, Speaker Penpa tion, Kalon Tripa Dr Lobsang Lama on his 77th birthday. Tsering and a host of Tibetan of- Sangay, in his official statement, The celebrations began ficials. offered His Holiness “deepest early morning with prayers for Kishan Kapoor, local mem- reverence, prayers, and warmest the long-life of His Holiness fol- ber of the Legislative Assembly wishes.” lowed by an elaborate incense and Industries Minister of the “Today is the most auspi- burning ceremony at Lhagyal-ri. state of Himachal Pradesh led a cious day not only for the people

6 SEEDS OF PEACE Country Reports of the Land of Snow but also for the entire world,” Dr Sangay said. “Though Tibetans are confronted with an unparalleled tragedy in our history, we have still been able to establish and sustain a successful and an exemplary refugee community under the visionary leadership of His Holiness.” The Kashag, in its state- ment, called on Tibetans and supporters worldwide to organise a global solidarity vigil for Tibet on August 8, coinciding with the one-year anniversary of the new His Holiness the Dalai Lama is greeted by well-wishes on his arrival Kashag. at the Main Tibetan Temple at the start of celebrations in honor “This international vigil of his 77th birthday in Dharamsala, India, on July 6, 2012. will remember those Tibetans Photo/Tenzin Choejor/OHHDL who have given up their lives for Tibet and show solidarity with every Tibetan in Tibet who con- tinues to suffer oppression under Chinese rule,” Dr Sangay said. Kalon Tripa further an- nounced that a long-life offering will be also presented to His Holiness on behalf of the Tibetan people and administration during the four-day Special General Meeting to be held from Septem- ber 25 to 28 in Dharamsala. The Tibetan Parliament-in- Exile in its statement noted that the situation inside Tibet has been “deteriorating from bad to worse” with the “intimidation Tibetan Parliament in Exile Speaker Penpa Tsering and head and violent repression” of the of the Central Tibetan Administration Dr Lobsang Sangey welcome His Holiness the Dalai Lama at the start of celebrations in honor Tibetan people on a “war foot- of his 77th birthday in Dharamsala, India, on July 6, 2012. ing.” Photo/Tenzin Choejor/OHHDL “As a result, the situation in Tibet today is so extremely seri- ernment, Kishan Kapoor wished people inside Tibet, who he ous that a state of de facto mar- the Dalai Lama a long life and said, despite many physical tial law prevails there,” Speaker thanked him for making the impediments, were celebrating Penpa Tsering said. “To sum up, Indian state his second home. his birthday in spirit. the Chinese government is im- “It is because of your bless- The 77-year-old Tibetan plementing in Tibet a policy of ings that Dharamsala and leader who last year devolved all racial contempt, racial discrimi- Himachal Pradesh has found a his political authorities to the nation, and racial obliteration unique place in history and I elected leadership noted that against the Tibetan people in a pray that you, Your Holiness, he personally didn’t consider manner which is all too obvious live for thousands of years,” the celebrating birthdays important. and blatant to warrant any minister said. “For me, every day is a new doubt.” In his brief speech, the Dalai day, and every day is an opportu- Representing the people of Lama acknowledged the courage nity to benefit others.” Himachal Pradesh and his gov- and fortitude of the Tibetan Source: www.phayul.com

Vol.28 No.3 7 Country Reports

ASEAN: South China Sea Disputes: Why ASEAN Must Unite After teetering on the edge all were promises made to a certain who quietly support a robust US through the month, the ASEAN non-member of the ASEAN presence. Humpty Dumpty abruptly fell family—China. After all, both the US and off its wall on 13 July and broke It should come as no surprise China have the potential to domi- into pieces. The grouping failed that Indonesia’s Natalegawa was nate Southeast Asia. Moreover, to issue a joint communiqué fol- doing the troubleshooting after China’s assertiveness is driven lowing the meeting in Phnom the Phnom Penh summit. Though by the fear that the US ‘Asian Penh due to differences on how technically this is the respon- pivot’ is directed against China to reflect discussions on the sibility of the ASEAN Secretary and that ASEAN will become South China Sea disputes. General, Thailand’s Surin Pitsu- Washington’s co-conspirator. Indonesian Foreign Minis- wan, Thailand and Cambodia’s If ASEAN cannot speak ter Marty Natalegawa had to fly relations over the Preah Vihear with one voice, it will struggle to ASEAN capitals to try to put temple remain frayed, so Indo- to remain relevant. The failure Humpty together again by issu- nesia would find it easier to in Phnom Penh not only under- ing a ‘common position’. How- approach Cambodia. mines ASEAN’s ‘centrality’; it ever, not only Indonesia but By breaking with the estab- calls into question ASEAN’s everyone in ASEAN—as well as lished practice of issuing a com- ability to negotiate with other China and the US—(and all the muniqué, ASEAN sends a mes- countries as a collective actor. king’s horses and all the king’s sage that some members do not Disunity couldn’t come at a worse men) would do well to come and recognise the ongoing existence time than when ASEAN is pre- help seal the cracks. of shared strategic interests. paring to negotiate with China on For the last 45 years ASEAN Then, it is right to ask, what is a code of conduct for the South has issued a joint communiqué the purpose of ASEAN, and what China Sea. This coincides with at the end of each of its meetings. is the purpose of their being an China’s rapid modernisation of There has always been bilateral ASEAN? its military and growing asser- friction between member states, ASEAN members do share a tiveness. but this friction is normally significant strategic interest: Code of conduct negotia- smoothed over in meetings. Southeast Asia’s small and me- tions will be a critical opportunity Member states generally agree dium powers need to collectively for ASEAN to pursue conflict that ASEAN is more than the preserve their autonomy against prevention measures with China. sum of its parts, and the joint any great power that would do- Such measures might include a statement at the end of each minate the region. For decades moratorium on further military meeting reaffirms that the or- this has been ASEAN’s reason expansion, military exclusion gani-sation is more important for being, and explains why zones around disputed land fea- than any single member. Even Cambodia’s perceived weakness tures, agreements on how to deal if it reflects only the lowest com- in the face of Chinese pressure with fishing activities in areas mon denominator, the commu- and enticements is so grave. By where there exist overlapping niqué is still a symbolic affirma- succumbing to China, Cambodia claims, and hotlines between tion of shared strategic interests. acts against ASEAN’s most leaders. The outcome of these So there is more at stake in recent important function. negotiations could spell the dif- events than the statement itself. On the other hand, the Phil- ference between peace and A few sentences acknowledging ippines is perceived to be exces- armed conflict in the South China the recent tensions between Viet- sively and unabashedly enthusi- Sea. nam and the Philippines and astic over the prospect of US ASEAN’s most urgent task China could have sufficed. Thus intervention in the resolution of is to ensure the effectiveness it is confounding that the chair, territorial disputes. US interven- of any new code—resolving Cambodia, was unable to forge tion may serve the Philippines’ ownership issues is a lesser even a minimalist consensus, national interest, but it unnerves priority at the moment. If though some speculate that there many in ASEAN—even those ASEAN members who do not

8 SEEDS OF PEACE Country Reports have claims in the South China tiations with China, one prefer- major opportunity to develop Sea feel burdened by the nego- ably still under ASEAN auspices. this architecture. If this happens, tiations, they might consider ASEAN fancies itself the ASEAN could end up abdicating abstaining. The claimants (the foundation of cooperative secu- responsibility for managing its Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia rity architecture in Asia. At the own regional problems to big and Brunei) and other interested moment, though, that foundation external powers. stakeholders (such as Indonesia looks decidedly shaky. If ASEAN and Singapore) should consider cannot make a solid show of unity Aileen S. P. Baviera, establishing a separate frame- before discussions on a code of 26 July 2012 work for code of conduct nego- conduct begin, it throws away a Source: www.eastasiaforum.org ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ Burma: Love Thy Neighbor—Thai-Burmese Relations

In the last two months, Thailand has received two prominent figures from its former pariah neighbor. Burma’s Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi visited in June and now reformist Presi- dent Thein Sein has just con- cluded a trip focusing on trade collaboration. Despite both being hailed as successful in their own way, each carried contrasting mess- ages to the Kingdom. Suu Kyi’s visit was to attend the World Economic Forum held in Bangkok and she received full media coverage and attention. This was a rock star visit and a huge inspiration to many Thais and migrant Burmese. At the forum, Suu Kyi’s message was to warn investors against “reckless optimism” in Burma’s political reform. “Even the best investment laws would be of no use whatso- ever if there are no courts that are clean enough and indepen- dent enough to be able to admin- On Sunday, the former gen- television also covered the visit ister those laws justly,” she said. eral and protégé of Snr-Gen Than with discussions focusing on “This is our problem: So far we Shwe landed by special flight at Burma’s recent political opening have not been aware of any Don Mueang Airport. Although and, of course, newfound busi- reforms on the judicial front.” his arrival was rather modest ness opportunities in the myste- Was she overly pessimistic compared to Suu Kyi, Thai news- rious once-hermit nation—a tra- as some observers suggested? papers still treated it as front ditional enemy of Thailand’s an- At the very least, Suu Kyi defi- page news’a sign of Burma’s cient Lanna and Siamese king- nitely contradicted the nature of newfound respectability. doms. Thein Sein’s visit this week. Thai-language radio and Upon arriving in Thailand,

Vol.28 No.3 9 Country Reports

Thein Sein did not beat around Burma and joint energy sector land’s business investments the bush but went straight to projects. There is a plan to link will be protected, Thais are quite visit Laem Chabang deep-sea Dawei with Laem Chabang to optimistic that Burma’s recent port in Chonburi Province. dramatically cut transport time political and economic opening His visit was transparently between central Thailand and will not make an abrupt U-turn. all about boosting business be- Chennai in India. There is even renewed interest tween the neighbors and inviting In a brief press conference among Thais to learn the Bur- more investment rather than in Bangkok, Thein Sein thanked mese language. preaching democracy and human Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Burma’s natural energy re- rights. Activists were bound to be Shinawatra for her country’s sources will be the biggest area disappointed, even if they were “ongoing support for political of mutual interest between the perhaps not surprised, that these and economic reforms.” During neighboring countries. Yingluck thorny subjects remained con- the press conference Yingluck visited Burma last year and deals spicuously absence from talks. did most of the talking and it was announced at the time included The fact is Thailand is the all about economic issues. two Burmese oil field conces- second largest investor in Bur- Thailand cannot readily af- sions granted to Thailand. ma—bilateral trade amounted to ford to lose Dawei—the multi- Thailand has few domestic US $6.1 billion in 2011 and was billion-dollar port and special energy supplies and benefits only beaten by China. economic zone project is in greatly by having a source of natu- Since 1988, a flurry of Thai doubt following Naypyidaw’s ral gas sitting next door. As one generals and businessmen fre- rejection of a coal-fired power Thai scholar puts it, Burma is quently visited Burma despite plant in the area and the with- “Thailand’s energy lifeline.” its appalling human rights re- drawal of domestic partner the There is also a political cord and the thousands of politi- Max Myanmar Group. Thai con- dynamic to this relationship—it cal prisoners kept incarcerated. struction conglomerate Italian- is fitting to see Burma becoming The bottom line is that Thailand Thai Development, which is the more open as the Shinawatra never missed an opportunity to scheme’s major backer, is re- clan reassumes power in Thai- develop commercial relations. portedly struggling to raise the land. Their mutual economic and More importantly, Thai finance needed to make it hap- political interests will no doubt leaders were the ones who broke pen. lead to a period of increased Burma’s diplomatic isolation But at the conference, Ying- interaction. under Gen Saw Maung after he luck thanked Thein Sein for his Last year, ex-Thai Prime staged a bloody coup in Septem- “reaffirmed commitment to Minister Thaksin Shinawatra vis- ber 1988. Then Thai Army Chief Dawei” and added that “both ited Burma once again. During Gen Chavalit Yongchiayudh led sides agreed to build connecti- his visit, Thaksin had a chance to businessmen on a controversial vity between Dawei and Laem meet ex-junta chief Than Shwe visit to Burma. He was not to be Chabang,” referring to the Thai despite no longer being officially disappointed with the results. Gulf port 100 km southeast of involved in government business So it is not surprising to see Bangkok that Thein Sein visited since retirement. However, there that Thai-Burmese relations on Sunday, and which will be is little doubt that Than Shwe, remain strong despite occasional linked to Dawei by road, accord- though formally out of the hiccups over the past decade. ing to current plans. picture, remains the key patron On Monday, Thein Sein, who Thein Sein also met Thai- of the present regime. once served as commander of land’s top executives from When word of Thaksin’s Triangle Command overseeing Charoen Pokphand, Siam Cement visit leaked in the media, the the Thailand, Laos and Burma Group and the Petroleum Author- former Thai premier said that border area, signed three Memo- ity of Thailand who will soon be he traveled to “smooth the way” randa of Understanding (MoUs) investing more in Burma. for his sister’s trip—indeed, Ying- aimed at tightening economic There is no doubt that Thai luck subsequently visited Burma links between Burma and Thai- investors are upbeat as Western soon after her brother. land. nations, including the US, ease Thaksin, the billionaire The MoUs focused on the sanctions on Burma as they know media mogul-turned-politician- Dawei (Tavoy) deep-sea port on their neighbor still has plenty to turned-fugitive, has had his eyes Burma’s southwest coast as well offer. Although there is more on the “excellent prospects” of as development cooperation in discussion needed on how Thai- Burma’s tourism industry for

10 SEEDS OF PEACE Country Reports many years now. When serving employed in Thailand. Burmese land’s attitude toward Burma as prime minister, he proposed refugees who fled civil wars live will eventually change, and the the construction of a ski resort in the camps on Thai soil which Burmese will begin to under- in the snow-capped mountains Suu Kyi visited last June, and stand how to co-exist with a of Kachin State and the develop- Burma’s political exiles still neighbor. ment of the unspoiled beaches search for a safe haven in Thai- As of now, deep-seated mis- of Arakan State. Lately, he was land. trust and uneasy feelings remain. said to express interest in the The flow of drugs and the But if Burma continues to open Dawei project. other illegal activities of armed up and prosper there can be a But despite the obvious eco- groups including human smug- new-found friendship between nomic incentives for Thailand, gling remain a major source of the two nations and a new dimen- there are many areas the two concern. sion to Thai-Burmese relations countries need to focus on. The Recently, around 80 Thai will develop. Yet this remains long border dividing the neigh- citizens were detained in south- hard to foretell at this stage. bors has been a source of tension ern Burma after they were Lastly, one should not over- for generations and remains so accused of sneaking across the look ethnic groups, many of whom today as old grudges and preju- border. Burmese security forces are currently involved in peace dices remain. seized timber-cutting machinery, talks with Naypyidaw, who also In spite of the sweet hand- bulldozers and trucks allegedly play a crucial role in the border- shake and exchange of smiles in being used for illegal logging. lands. They will not take kindly Bangkok, historical pressures Indeed, the over 2,400 km to being a pawn in these new remain between the two nations. border remains a source of ten- business deals inked between Burma’s sacking of the sion. When relations reached governments. Siamese capital Ayutthaya in their low ebb in the early 2000s, Karen, Shan, Karenni and 1767 is still taught in Thai serious skirmishes broke out and Mon leaders remain skeptical schools, and the Burmese are the two countries engaged in a and cautious toward Burma’s still portrayed as bad neighbors war of both words and rockets. overtures and approach—they and socially inferior in Thai Both fired mortars into the will undoubtedly be wary over dramas and soap operas. There is other’s border towns and mili- increased business relations no shortage of news on the ill tary encampments, while the between Thailand and Burma. treatment and exploitation of Burmese government published The question remains who will Burmese migrant workers in several articles openly attacking suffer from these megaprojects Thailand. prominent figures in Thailand. in ethnic regions? And similarly, Conversely, the Burmese It added further fuel to the fire who stands to profit? also remain distrustful toward by introducing a new history Several bilateral projects Thais. In the past, the regime in textbook for fourth graders that including power plants, hydro- Burma accused Thailand of har- portrayed Burma’s neighbors to power dams and the opening boring dissidents and rebels to the east as servile and lazy, and of more border checkpoints will stage attacks on Burma, and in the Thais returned the favor by directly involve ethnic regions. return the Thais accused Burma routinely discriminating against These schemes require the of flooding it with speed pills and Burmese migrant workers inside restoration of stability and heroin. Thailand. peace. More importantly, the Amid this quarrelling, Bur- Now, by contrast, Thais people who live there must see mese ethnic minority insurgents respect the names Suu Kyi and a fair share of the benefits. operate in border jungles and Thein Sein and, of course, relish Aung Zaw, around two million Burmese doing business in resource-rich 24 July 2012 migrant workers are currently Burma. It is hoped that Thai- Source: www.irrawaddy.org

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Vol.28 No.3 11 Country Reports

Laos: Asia-Europe People’s Forum in Vientiane, Laos PDR, October 2012

Every two years a meeting be- tween heads of state from Europe and Asia (ASEM) is being held, by rotation in an Asian or Euro- pean country. Independent civil society meetings are organized prior to these exchanges. This year the 9th ASEM will be held in Vientiane, the capital of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. Sombath Somphone, Magsaysay Award recipient and founder of PADETC, a leading NGO in Laos, is the co-chairman of the civil society conference. Sombath presided in 2007 over the “GNH3” opening ceremony at Wat Hin Mak Peng, Nongkhai, at the bor- der of the Mekong River just op- A TOA team visits Tha Tang Organic Farm in Paksé, Laos. posite Vientiane. The ceremony initiated the 3rd international con- tions”. His proposal for self- seven PADETC farms started-up ference on Gross National Hap- organized, civil-society driven from the Magsaysay Award piness with shared inter-religious exchanges on socio-economic earned by Sombath Somphone. prayers and folk theatre. GNH3 development and political trans- Tha Tang Organic Farm in Paksé participants from all over the formation in a perspective of is run completely by a group of world joined the symbolic Loy cultural integrity, is still valid young agriculturalists. The Krathong festival and floated today. Sulak has been a long- AEPF workshop will provide a flowers in the Mekong River to standing partner of CCFD-Terre platform for strategic planning express concern for its eco-sys- Solidaire, a major French NGO to support a pro-active role of tem under threat of commercial supporting the people’s forum. young people towards food damming. According to Som- During the upcoming AEPF in security, seed sovereignty and bath, placing “happiness” poli- Vientiane, 16-19 October 2012, the future of ‘agroecology’. cies on the ASEM agenda would the Towards Organic Asia (TOA) The motto of the Towards help to transcend political and project of the School for Well- Organic Asia (TOA) project cultural differences towards a being will conduct a ‘strategic’ boldly sates: “organic agricul- more visionary Asia-Europe workshop. The workshop will be ture is the heart of global trans- cooperation. opened with presentations of a formation”. Partners from Bhu- The first ASEM was held in group of young organic farmers tan play an important role in the Bangkok, Thailand, in 1996. from the Mekong + Bhutan eco- TOA project. Bhutan, land of Sulak Sivaraksa delivered the region. Young organic farmers Gross National Happiness opening speech at the initial Asia and activists are planning to (GNH), voices grave concerns Europe People’s Forum (AEPF) gather at a PADETC farm in regarding the glacier-ecosystem prior to the heads of state meet- Paksé, north of Laos 11-15 Octo- of the Himalayas and Tibetan ing. His speech was titled “Be- ber. From there they will travel Plateau where the Mekong River yond Geo-economics. Recon- to join the AEPF meeting in and most great rivers of Asia ceptualizing Euro-Asia Rela- Vientiane. The farm is one of find their sources. Bhutan has

12 SEEDS OF PEACE Country Reports

Stéphane Hessel, author of Time for Outrage; and Pierre Rabhi, poet, pioneer of agroecology in France and Africa. declared, in the light of climate “Roosevelt 2012” in France rage), is a retired top-diplomat change—and to strengthening Recently Stéphane Hessel and former resistance leader. community resilience to reverse and Edgar Morin launched the The social movement stirred-up urban migration—a forward- ‘Roosevelt 2012’ campaign, by his book resonates with the looking “100% organic coun- supported by some 60 well- Occupy Wall Street campaign. try”- policy. known French opinion leaders. He calls for re-thinking the The Towards Organic Asia Among them Patrick Viveret, Bretton Woods conference, Mekong region + Bhutan colla- philosopher, who inspired FAIR USA 1944, where world leaders boration (the start of a broader (= Forum pour d’ Autres Indi- agreed to the “Washington Con- Asian network), with support cateurs de Richesse). The School sensus”. The “consensus” shaped of partner-organization CCFD- for Wellbeing was invited by the financial architecture still Terre Solidaire, has been initi- CCFD-Terre Solidaire to con- dominating our world econo- ated as a backbone for an inno- duct a workshop, together with mics today, albeit that in 1971 the vative Asia-Europe cooperative FAIR, on new ways of measur- ‘golden standard’—currencies network. ing “wealth”. The workshop pegged to real value of gold— CCFD-Terre Solidaire is took place at a Summer Univer- was abandoned (under pressure an NGO characterized by its sity held in Lyon. How to over- of excessive spending on the domestic network of French— come growing economic ine- Vietnam War). This left the locally rooted—volunteers. From quality, share wealth, between world economy with no real this perspective an international groups within societies; and be- common currency standard and gathering is contemplated re- tween countries? The Summer with no universal indicator for lated to GNH and likeminded University, a national event with progress but ‘Gross Domestic efforts in Europe aiming at trans- links to the World Social Forum, Product’, which was not de- forming “development para- was a welcome opportunity to signed for it. “GDP” as indicator digms”, probably to be held in anticipate Asia-Europe collabo- of progress has been criticized Grenoble, France, at the end of ration towards “a new global repeatedly, lately by the Stiglitz- 2013. Grenoble is, similar to social contract”, and a possible Sen-Fitoussi Commission, but Thimphu—the capital of Bhutan international “Forum Grenoble” no consistent alternative policy —surrounded by mountains. It in France in 2013. Pierre Rabhi, framework and adequate index is situated in the Rhône-Alpes, a poet and pioneer of agro-ecology for sustainable development has French region which mirrors the in France and Noth-Africa, been generally adopted. ecosystem of the Mekong River, closed the Summer University in the Tibetan Plateau and the his characteristic way. The “Bhutan Initiative” Himalayas in Asia. Stéphane Hessel, author of Simultaneously a likeminded the Indignez Vous (Time for Out- campaign to restructuring the

Vol.28 No.3 13 Country Reports

ing out a new international consensus on a new sane, sustainability-based global economic paradigm, based on the best available scien- tific and expert knowledge. It will be a new Bretton Woods to replace an out- dated system that simply no longer works either for the planet or for people. The new system will require new measures of progress and new national accounts that value our wealth properly and com- Prime Minister of Bhutan Jigmi Y. Thinley delivers the opening speech prehensively (including at the IFOAM’s Sustainable Development Learning Event, Rio+20 natural capital and its deple- (International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements). tion and degradation), and that properly account for “Washington Consensus”, and addition to radical preservation the full benefits and costs of to providing a new impulse for of forests in national sanctuaries. economic activity. And— local economies, has been laun- Restrictions on tourism. Bhutan just as Bretton Woods 1944 ched from a totally different decided, based on screening by established the World Bank corner of the world. After an GNH criteria, to not become a and IMF to manage the old incubation-period of some 40 WTO member; and to not extend growth-based economic years, and under the title “Well- the practice of mining. In 2008 paradigm—so the new being & Happiness: Defining a the ‘GNH Index’ was launched Bretton Woods will require New Economic Paradigm”, the which monitors wellbeing us to re-design and refashion “Bhutan Initiative” has been through 9 domains and subse- these global institutions to launched at the UN Headquar- quent indicators. manage and regulate the ters in New York, 2 April 2012 From this practical ap- new system and ensure www.2Apr.gov.bt, following proach, a discussion on universal proper implementation.” unanimous adoption by the Gen- governance principles regarding eral Assembly of a Resolution Public Common Goods is “Post-Rio+20” efforts to- (65/309 Happiness: towards a emerging. It was the major wards a new development para- holistic approach to develop- research question of the inter- digm, and a global social con- ment) proposed by Bhutan. national exchange-platform Re- tract, now address the negotia- thinking Property. Pathway to a tions regarding the Millennium GNH: defining a new economic Wellbeing Society scenario? Development Goals Beyond paradigm organized by the School for 2015. Recently three co-chairs Some encouraging exam- Wellbeing at Chulalongkorn of a High-Level UN Panel were ples of GNH implementation-’ University in August 2011. appointed: David Cameron, PM on the ground’ are: the provision Bhutan’s position and trans- of England, Ellen Johnson Sir- of free medical services and free formational impulse has been leaf, President of Liberia, 2011 education; a pro-active anti-cor- articulated in the Rio+20 do- Nobel Peace Prize recipient, and ruption policy; minimum land cument Time for a Sustainable Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, property for all extended fami- Economic Paradigm: President of Indonesia. Civic lies; the target of 100% electrifi- “And so, the Kingdom action to guide this defining cation and free access to the of Bhutan wishes to invite global policy development media; a strict maximum to land the nations, economists, and process is urgently needed. The ownership; and, extensive com- ecologists of the world to NGO umbrella ‘Beyond 2015’ munity forestry arrangements in come together in hammer- has nominated civil society rep-

14 SEEDS OF PEACE Country Reports resentatives. different angles, including vis- Europe, in a process towards a Within this context, Bhutan ions from the ‘least developed new global “Himalayan con- proposes to host in 2014 (to be countries’. sensus”. confirmed) a high-level meeting The proposed conference on re-designing the Bretton- in Grenoble, could provide the Hans van Willenswaard Woods system, and on establish- unique connection between the ing agreement on a sustainable French ‘Roosevelt 2012’ cam- Contact persons: Thanapol Kheolamai, economic paradigm. The coun- paign, and related independent TOA Coordinator, Thailand try is well-equipped for such organizations and persons, with thanapol@school forwellbeing.org high-level international meeting the ‘Bhutan Initiative’, building Stéphanie Genteuil, that will urge stakeholders to a bridge between locally based intern School for Wellbeing, France look at global challenges from movements in Asia and in [email protected]

¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ Siam: M. L. Bunluea Thepyasuwan : A Civilized Woman

M.L. Bunluea Thepyasuwan Siam in some ways, yet its (1911-1982) was a revered tea- opposite in others. But it was cher of literature, a novelist, and her secondary objective that a leading contributor to the interests us most, forty years development of Thai education later. The novel was to be edify- during the Thai twentieth cen- ing, and inspiring: readers would tury. Ajarn Sulak Sivarak could learn how Thai society could be well have been describing her, improved, if they would build on when he wrote these words: the strengths of the Siamese past, “The Duty of a Teacher” including Buddhist ideals of I say that the ideal, the best personal conduct and national teachers are those who work will. These traditional ideals to lift the spirits of their stu- could and should be melded with dents, and who serve society contemporary ideas concerning by struggling to impart the gender equality and the wise use idea of taking responsibility of technology. in good times and bad. Their http://th.wikipedia.org In the fictional kingdom of teaching encompasses all Suratnari, all positions of power that pertains to honor and and adults, in order to obvi- and influence are held by women, dignity between human ate the gaps that continue to while men’s lives are very like beings. They are interested prevail. women’s lives in the Thailand in issues of morality, [good] An interesting example of her readers knew. But gender governance, and protection M.L. Bunluea’s efforts to teach equality, or, in the Thai parlance of the natural environment. beyond the classroom, through of the 1970s, “wimmin’ lip,” It is no longer enough for a her fiction, is her unusual and was generally considered to be teacher to be focused only controversial utopian novel, Su- an unappealing Western con- on the narrow world of the ratnari, published in 1972. She cept, and few Thai women (to say school and the classroom. said that her first objective was nothing of Thai men) found the The teacher must represent to tell an entertaining story in ideas behind the slogans to be a connection between the which shipwrecked men find compelling. Even in the pages school, and the world be- themselves in a strange and of Suratnari, a scene in which yond; and between youths exotic land that was very like Western women are described

Vol.28 No.3 15 Country Reports portrays them as large, loud, She had just retired from the goals took precedence. It was an graceless creatures. The leaders civil service, and some of her edifying, even a “speechifying” of Bunluea’s imaginary king- long-standing grudges related novel, and was the least popular dom, on the other hand, are to her career, including a glass of her books. She was disap- graceful, attractive, and femi- ceiling that no one denied, were pointed that only a few literary nine—in a commanding way. reflected in the details of person- colleagues were enthusiastic Daughters are favored over alities and careers in the novel. about it. Now, however, with the sons, as illustrated in the follow- However, some of the lady read- hindsight of four decades, Surat- ing gleeful description of a ers of Thailand were infuriated nari stands as an important source typical Thai-Surat family on an by the lady leaders of Suratnari. of social history, and I think that outing, a reversal of typical They did not expect the heroines that would please her. Many of family behavior in Thai-Siam: of their novels to have high level the imperatives that predominate When the Suratians go jobs and opinions on national in Suratnari are of great concern out as a family, the woman development, much less hus- in Thailand today, particularly that leads. Her manner bespeaks bands—and “minor husbands.” of preserving and protecting the her role as leader. One can Beyond gender issues, natural environment. It is often see that she is clever, and Bunluea indirectly critiqued the said that “When the student is wise.... The sons are pushed Thai political and economic ready, the teacher will appear.” back a bit, they walk behind, realities of the early 1970s, when Occasionally, a teacher arrives while the daughters stride the kingdom remained closely before the students are ready forward to walk with the allied with the U.S., and was its for the lesson that has been head of the family. Some of ally in the devastating war in prepared. these heads of families carry Thailand’s neighboring nations. small children in their arms, She made it clear that domestic Susan F. Kepner but when they tire, they give Thai development projects were, University of California, them to the older boys to in her estimation, becoming ever Berkeley hold. (Bunluea, Suratnari, less attractive, and more worri- Bangkok: Phrae Phitthaya, some. In Suratnari, women lead- (This article contains excerpts from 1972, page 373) ers worked diligently to improve a forthcoming biography: Susan In the novel’s 841 pages, the environment, and to protect F. Kepner, A Civilized Woman: Bunluea shared a lifetime of the air, water, and land of Surat. M.L. Boonluea Thepyasuwan and the Thai Twentieth Century, Silk- reflections on relationships In the Thailand of 1972, more worm Books.) between Thai men and women. immediate and materialistic ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ Siam: Secret Doctrine of Wat Phra Dhammakaya

Abstract well-organized with over forty lives to serve their Master that The exponential growth of branches overseas and millions Buddhism in Thailand or the controversial Wat Phra of followers worldwide. Through- Theravada World has never seen Dhammakaya from a small group out the period of aggressive before. What is the nature of this of Buddhists, disciples of the expansion, the community has secret teaching? What is the Venerable PhraMongkolthep- been shrouded with waves of con- source of its power? How is it muni, the late abbot of WatPak- troversies on various grounds. taught? How does it develop? nam Bhasicharoen, is phenom- The secret teaching of meditation Why is it so appealing to the enal. Within three decades, the taught by the leaders of the com- young minds to devote their community which had about ten munity is behind the inspiration lives and future to the authority permanent members who settled for thousands of young gradu- of the community? What is the in the district of Klongloung, ates, men and women, from vari- worldview of this community? Pathumthani grew to thousands, ous universities to sacrifice their These questions are discussed

16 SEEDS OF PEACE Country Reports

and analyzed by first-hand expe- was highly suspicious of its cated to the charisma of Phra- rience of the author who was one motives and involvement with Chaiboon Dhammajayo endorsed of its founding members. communism as the community by the myths of secret teachings could attract a huge mass of of Dhammakaya Meditation. Introduction students to join its activities. The Legends and secret anecdotes he The rise of Wat Phra Dham- second decade saw a massive selectively delivered to his core makaya as a well organized urban expansion of the community into followers were the foundation Buddhist movements undeni- its neighbouring areas. Thou- of his identity that made him able unique in the history of Thai- sands of acres of land were pur- revered, and his words are taken land. After three and a half de- chased for wide scale expansion as commandments. cades, the wat is now as a well of its physical territory, incurring Some of these legends, established international centre protest and demonstration from stories of miracles and secret of Buddhist movements. Apart the local farmers. The third de- teaching are parts of the original from millions of followers in cade saw the wat’s involvement teaching of the late abbot of Wat Thailand it has over forty bran- with grandiose financial invest- Paknam Bhasicharoen which ches overseas, two satellite ments, massive fund raising and is passed through Phra Dham- televisions broadcasting in four scandal over its mysterious majayo. When they are com- languages and projects for con- administration. Until now, there bined with the community disci- structing an international univer- has not been any Buddhist com- pline employed by the leadership sity. All these achievements were munity in Thailand worse hit by of Wat Phra Dhammakaya possible without governmental such scandals than Wat Phra creates the strongest charisma support. In fact they were gained Dhammakaya and could manage of a Buddhist leadership ever through continuous struggles of more than just to survive. walked on earth as perceived by the members of the wat under the Critics of the monastery his followers. leadership of Phra Chaiboon often focus on the power of the Being once an insider and Dhammajayo. Most of the time financial management of the wat one of the leaders on the board of these struggles were not only and the administration skills of administration of the wat who against the public criticism in the the leaders of Wat Phra Dham- have successfully reformed the media, state interventions, juri- makaya as the source for its structure of the organization in dical authority and even injunc- achievement, whereas the teach- 1989 - 90, and also a scholar in tions of the top administers of ing of Dhammakaya meditation Buddhism and history of world the ecclesiastical community of is simply judged as unorthodox. religions, I am both blessed and Thailand. Those who shared enough expe- cursed in presenting this paper. During the first decade of the rience in the community know Since I have realized the aca- wat, when the Cold War in Thai- that the authority of the commu- demic values in bringing up land was at its peak, the military nity’s leadership is solely allo- the secret teaching of Wat Phra

Vol.28 No.3 17 Country Reports

Dhammakaya, apparently a new Dhammakaya and its leadership, tival, marking the 2600 years of the body of knowledge, this material but to present the content of Supreme Enlightenment of the should be brought to the atten- teaching which once I so deeply Founder of Buddhism, organized tion of international scholars and shared with other members of by Maha Chulalongkorn Buddhist University in May 2012, but because theologians. The information the Dhammakaya community as of Wat Phra Dhammakaya’s influ- will greatly benefit the academic impartial and objective as pos- ence, the paper was not allowed to world. Nevertheless, I have also sible for academic purposes. be delivered. However, one can read realized the burden of impartial- it in Journal of Buddhist Ethics ISSN ity that I should take as a scholar, Mano MettanandoLaohavanich1 1076-9005http://blogs.dickinson. and the necessity to move away (Formerly: Ven. Dr. Mettanando Bhikkhu), edu/buddhistethics/ Volume 19, 2012 from prejudice and bias, pros and Lecturer, Pridi Banomyong ______cons, in the issue which have International College, 1 The author was one of the top deeply affected the course of my Thammasat University leaders of Wat Phra Dhammakaya own life. This paper is, therefore, and Dhammakaya Foundation written with the intention not to The paper was prepared to be deliv- who had 19 years of experience in discredit or to support Wat Phra ered at the Thai Buddha Jayanti Fes- the movement. ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ Japan: Japanese Buddhists’ Increasing Involvement in Anti-Nuclear Activism

The massive, by Japanese stan- dards, protest against the restart of the Oi nuclear reactors which took place Friday night (June 29) in downtown Tokyo in front of the parliament building and the official residence of the prime minister felt different, historic even, and perhaps a watershed in Japan’s now two decade struggle to find a new post-industrial social paradigm. What was dif- ferent that stood out was:

A marked increase in diver- sity of the participants Most of the demonstrations I have attended since April of 2011, shortly after the Fukushi- ma incident happened, have been The Final Push Towards the Prime Minister’s Residence dominated by long time social (Satoru Semba Asahi Shimbun) activists over the age of 50, often representing labor groups but near trendy centers of youth 30s who have dropped out of also including the wide variety of such as Shibuya, Harajuku and mainstream employment in citizens groups that have arisen Shinjuku have often been well companies and are developing over the last 15 years in Japan. attended by the increasing num- various types of alternative life- Demonstrations that have been bers of furita/freeter. These are styles. Their numbers are esti- held in the western parts of Tokyo young Japanese in their 20s and mated somewhere between 4

18 SEEDS OF PEACE Country Reports and 8 million people. However, within minutes of arriving at the protest site last Friday, I noticed a greater diversity, especially young working professionals who have generally kept quite a distance from previous demon- strations. Although less conspicuous, I also noticed for the first time at an anti-nuclear demonstration a university students group which was acting as a coalition of groups from different universi- ties. While many university students did become involved in volunteer relief work in the tsunami affected areas, they have generally shown no interest Buddhist Priests and Laypeople from AYUS & JNEB in becoming involved in the nuclear issue. They have ap- swell from 5:30 to 7:00 pm, the felt with the restart of the Oi peared not only fearful of endan- protest could not be contained on reactors only 48 hours away that gering their job prospects by the sidewalks or even one lane the future was right now and getting involved in civil disobe- into the street. By 7:00 there was voiced their displeasure to these dience but also completely out of a dual push by the now massive organizers. touch and apathetic with social crowd, probably in the neighbor- issues that go beyond their own hood of 40,000 though estimates A coordinated Buddhist interests in personal advance- vary from 17,000 to 150,000. One presence ment. group at the top of the hill surged From this writer’s own per- into the road in front of the prime sonal interest, this demonstration Real spontaneity and civil minister’s residence forcing the was the first at which a coordi- disobedience police to move armored buses nated group of Buddhists partici- For foreigners, especially across it to block them. Mean- pated beyond the regular activ- Europeans accustomed to taking while a second surge occurred at ism of the small Nipponzan the streets about social issues, the bottom of the hill in front of Myohoji order. A small but not participating in a demonstration the parliament building. And insignificant group of 8 Buddhist in Japan feels like a shocking suddenly the entire street of some priests and at least 5 lay followers mockery of the very concept of 400 meters in length had been representing AYUS (a Japanese public protest and civil disobedi- taken over by the crowd, cutting Buddhist development NGO ence. Almost all demonstrations off all traffic and leaving the po- increasingly involved in the in Japan are planned in advance lice relatively helpless to re-es- nuclear issue) and the Japan with the consent of the police. tablish order. While the protest Network of Engaged Buddhists While providing assistance and did end in a timely manner at (JNEB) gathered amidst the tacit protection against small 8:00 with the typical civility of crowd and, holding high the Bud- groups of right-wing fanatics, both police and protesters, there dhist flag, maintained a presence they also ensure that the demon- was some anger amongst the throughout the demonstration. strations follow their prescribed demonstrators themselves to- From the moment I arrived routes and do not inconvenience wards the organizers who coop- at the site at 5:30, I quickly found the normal flow of traffic or pub- erated with the police and used a small group of Nipponzan lic life in the streets. The demon- their loudspeakers to tell every- Myohoji priests and lay follow- stration on June 29 was my first one to go home. Their reasoning ers through the sound of their experience counter to this. was so that future protests would drums. As a way of orienting As the numbers continued to not be forbidden. However, many myself to the situation, I followed

Vol.28 No.3 19 Country Reports them through the streets as we chanted the daimoku, refuge to the Lotus Sutra. After connect- ing up with our other Buddhist friends, we camped out for an hour on the corner of Roppongi Avenue, the entrance to the street on which the parliament build- ing and the prime minister’s resi- dence is located. Spontaneously connecting with a group of furita, we engaged, as did the entire crowd, in chants of “Against the Start Up”, with one of our mem- bers Rev. Kobo Inoue, a Jodo Pure Land priest, grabbing a bullhorn and leading the crowd. By 7:00 we began to move up the hill and take part in the push to Rev. Kobo Inoue leads the call “Against the Start Up”! take over the entire street in front of the parliament building. Along Since then, the monastic con- which the aforementioned Rev. the way, we met up with Rev. gresses of numerous Buddhist Okochi is a leader. The Forum Hidehito Okochi, a Jodo Pure denominations (such as Soto Zen has brought together Buddhist, Land priest and longtime anti- and Jodo Shin Otani Pure Land) Shinto, and Christian priests to nuclear activist and NGO leader, made critical declarations in grapple with the nuclear issue carrying his banner expressing February of this year on the since 1993. In mid-April, they the incompatibility of the Pure future use of nuclear power in held a major three day sympo- Land and nuclear weapons and Japan and also adopted platforms sium in Fukushima bringing energy. As we moved up the hill and specific regulations on the together citizens, local activists, to the demonstration’s peaked use of alternative energies within and Buddhist priests all working conclusion in front of the ar- their own denominations. Jodo to cope with the ongoing crisis mored buses at the entrance to Shin Otani, one of the three larg- there. They also responded to the Prime Minister’s residence, I est traditional Buddhist denomi- the increased effort of the Noda kept running into followers of nations in Japan, also made a administration to restart the Oi the Nipponzan Myohoji and public appeal to Prime Minister reactors by creating an ecumeni- their endless chanting and drum- Noda on June 12th to not allow the cal rally of 100 religious leaders ming of refuge in the Lotus Sutra. restart of the Oi reactors. Rev. at the Fukui prefectural offices While our numbers may Taitsu Kono—the present Chief on May 30 to petition the local have seemed insignificant, our Priest of the Myoshin-ji sect of government to reject Tokyo’s coordinated presence was sym- the Rinzai Zen denomination and push for the restart. This event bolic of the Japanese Buddhist recently retired President of the was well covered by the mass world’s increased interest and Japan Buddhist Federation—has media, which has a tendency activism in the nuclear issue. It also become an increasingly to ignore the social efforts of took over 6 months for any popular figure in the media for religious groups. Buddhist denomination to make his connecting the complicity of a public declaration on the Fuku- Japanese Buddhists in World Conclusions: shima incident and nuclear War II to their complicity with Whether the protest of June power in Japan. Subsequently, nuclear power. 29 becomes a watershed or not the Japan Buddhist Federation, All these actions are very is still not easy to discern as the representing all the traditional much in the wake of the leader- conservative center of Japanese sects, made an official anti- ship shown by the small Inter society continues to appear un- nuclear statement on December Faith Forum for the Review of moveable. However, now more 6, 2011. National Nuclear Policy, of than a year after the events of

20 SEEDS OF PEACE Country Reports

3/11, the nuclear issue has not the big companies—standards of A final image of this nascent faded away. Despite an inconsis- this nation and its people—were new age was the live U-stream tent civil protest movement since operating it. This long held senti- feed last night (Sunday July 1) that time, there appears to be a ment that the government and from in front of the Oi nuclear continually growing sentiment the big companies were looking complex as it began its restart. against nuclear power, as seen in out for the best interest of the Hundreds of anti-nuclear pro- two-thirds of Japanese polled as people has been deteriorating testers drummed, danced, and against the restart of the Oi reac- over the last decade of economic shouted, “Against the Start Up”! tors. This sentiment is very sym- failure and structural readjust- Who were these people? Yes, bolic of a much larger trend in ment. Since the Fukushima inci- some appeared to be those old Japan—a kind of social awaken- dent, the public exposure of the leftist activists, but for the most ing, perhaps not seen since the nuclear village—the collusive part they were furita. Not worried mass disillusionment with the alliance of government, big busi- about being at work at 9:00 the government at the end of the ness, scientists and academics, next morning, they danced and World War II. and media—has seen this senti- drummed and shouted well A young housewife and ment hit a new low. With or with- beyond midnight. Will this mother at the June 29th demon- out its government, the people growing number of “drop-outs” stration was quoted as saying, of Japan seem to be ready, and be given the space to help build “Japanese have not spoken out perhaps even eager, to move the new Japan or will they just against the national government. forward into a new future that grab it instead? Now, we have to speak out, or not only ensures environmental the government will endanger us integrity but also the lifestyle Jonathan S. Watts all.” (New York Times, June 29) integrity and psycho-spiritual International Buddhist Exchange For some four decades, Japanese integrity that have been sacri- Center (IBEC) have thought nuclear power was ficed over the last half century Yokohama safe, because the government and drive for industrial modernism. 2 July 2012

¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ Sri Lanka: Detainees and Detention Centers

“The treatment of prisoners security rights and other social Whilst not an emergency should emphasize not their ex- benefits of prisoners. (No 61, law per se the Prevention of Ter- clusion from the community, but Guiding Principles, Standard rorism (Temporary Provisions) their continuing part in it. Com- Minimum Rules for the Treatment Act (‘PTA’) is relevant to the munity agencies should, there- of Prisoners)[1] emergency laws in Sri Lanka. fore, be enlisted wherever pos- Adopted in 1979 as a temporary sible to assist the staff of the insti- Introduction measure in response to growing tution in the task of social reha- The Government of Sri Lan- political violence in the North, it bilitation of the prisoners. There ka is currently holding approxi- contains broad security-related should be in connection with mately eight thousand individu- offences, and wide powers of every institution social workers als under administrative deten- search, arrest and detention. charged with the duty of main- tion without charge or trial. They Shortly after the introduction of taining and improving all desir- are alleged former associates of the PTA, the International Court able relations of a prisoner with the LTTE and therefore required of Justice (ICJ) concluded that it his family and with valuable to undergo ‘rehabilitation’ under “violates norms of the Interna- social agencies. Steps should be Sri Lanka’s 2005 emergency tional Covenant on Civil and taken to safeguard, to the maxi- regulations.[2] Hundreds of Political Rights ratified by Sri mum extent compatible with the others have been screened and Lanka, as well as other generally law and the sentence, the rights held separately for criminal accepted international standards relating to civil interests, social prosecution. of criminal procedure, by permit-

Vol.28 No.3 21 Country Reports ting prolonged detention on ad- Rehabilitation Institutions in Sri Lanka ministrative order without access to lawyers and the use of evi- Category Number dence possibly obtained under duress.” (ICJ Mission Report Closed prisons for convicted persons 03 1981, p75).” Remand prisons[3] 14 Overcrowding. All these Work Camps 05 institutions come within the Open prison camps 02 administrative purview of the Training schools for youthful offenders 01 prison department. According to Correctional centers for youthful offenders 02 data obtained from the Superin- Drug rehabilitation centers 01 tendent of Prisons, the number Work release centers 01 of closed prisons for convicted Lock-ups 28 prisoners had increased to three, the number of remand prisons had increased to eighteen and such as mats, pillows, clothes, three [3] main prisons in Sri Lanka: the number of work camps had plates, cups and buckets etc, due Welikada, Bogambara and increased to eight. The estimated to lack of funds. Remand prison- Mahara. These are over 125 years daily population at prison stood ers complained, during a visit to old, multi-storied buildings made at 17,982 persons comprising the Welikada prison by a former of lime, sand and bricks and convicted, unconvicted, detain- Commissioner General of Pris- wooden floors and have long ees and condemned prisoners, as ons, that there was lack of venti- outlived their usefulness. It has well as prisoners on appeal and lation and the prisons were become an extremely difficult those remanded under PTA. Out infested with bugs and cock- task to keep these dilapidated of this number, 76.9% prisoners roaches. buildings in a fit state for human are serving their sentences for There were also complaints occupation with the meager non-payment of fines; the major- of no electric light bulbs in good funds made available to the ity of prisoners are male and working order in the cells, and Department. These prisons were under 40 years of age; a total inadequate water for drinking built to house the prisoners of the percentage of 63% of the con- and washing purposes. Sanita- 19th century. They are definitely victed offenders are first time tion facilities were also extre- not fit to hold the prisoners of the offenders; 75.4% of the detainees mely inadequate. During the 21st century. are short term detainees (in pri- same visit, it was observed that Today the prisons have to be son for a period extending from there were only eight function- kept under high security condi- under 14 days to 6 months) and ing toilets for the entire popula- tions with various underworld overcrowding of prisons is at the tion of 1,400 remanded prisoners gangs (sometimes with high estimated rate of 461.7% for in the Welikada prisons. political connection), foreign drug remanded prisoners. The number Insofar as convicted prison- traffickers who are members of of prisoners has steadily increased ers were concerned, the lack of International Drug Syndicate, throughout the years, thus in facilities was equally bad. Prison Kingpins of local drug trade, ter- 2002, unpublished prison statis- food was adequate, but of poor rorists, and dangerous criminals tics revealed that the daily aver- quality and was not prepared in among its occupants. The need age number of prisoners was at a sanitized environment. It was is never felt more than now for 18,000. Currently, the prisons also observed that prisoners at least two maximum security are estimated to hold more than complained about the inade- prisons to keep these dangerous 28,000 prisoners. quate medical facilities as the types of offenders. Inadequate Facilities & In- Welikada prisons, where a medi- Overcrowding of remand pri- human Treatment. Most recent cal officer attended the prisoner soners has caused severe pres- studies, including one from the for only two hours per day with sures in the 3 main prisons built Lawyers for Human Rights and insufficient time to examine the only for convicted prisoners. Development, have found that prisoners. For several years almost half the detainees are not provided New Buildings and More of Welikada, Bogambara and with the most basic facilities Budget Needed. There are Mahara Prisons had to be set

22 SEEDS OF PEACE Country Reports apart for remand prisoners. Over- Justice over 2 l/2 years back (in | This publication is the first part crowding means not only a prob- 2009). of a series prepared by Hotline lem of space. It is a problem Asia Extension Work in Kandy, regarding water toilet facilities, Major Issues Sri Lanka. recreation and other equipment. Large number of prisoners ______Facilities meant for 100 prisoners without trial have to be utilized by over 300. Inhuman degrading treat- [1] Adopted by the First United It is therefore, a compelling need ment in prisons and in detention Nations Congress on the Preven- to start on a new building pro- centers tion of Crime and the Treatment gramme to develop a safe and Overcrowding of Offenders, held at Geneva in 1955, and approved by the effective prison system. Without Unofficial detention centers Economic and Social Council by such a building programme it Prisoners languish due to its resolutions 663 C (XXIV) of would be impossible to solve the undue delay in court 31 July 1957 and 2076 (LXII) of current problem of severe over- Case of remand prisoners not 13 May 1977 crowding and guarding of high followed up. As a result, some [2] “Emergency Regulations” en- security prisons. have even been in remand prison acted by the President of Sri Though the country has the for nearly 50 years. Lanka in August 2005 have un- experience of the establishment dergone a number of modifica- of several new police stations, Challenge for Justice tions and amendments since that date and the text shown here, court houses, which has resulted Reliance on emergency consolidated by Gregory Norton, in more arrests and more re- regulations and counter-terro- reflects all of those changes up manding of suspects there have rism legislation that fall short of to 31 July 2007. been no parallel increase in international law and standards [3] Persons awaiting trial or prison establishments. It is very effectively places detainees in unconvicted prisoners, as well as unfortunate that successive a legal black hole. There is no convicted prisoners with short governments have paid very little recourse to an independent and terms, are located in these pris- ons Convicted prisoners with attention to the expansion of the competent tribunal to determine short terms attend to jail services prisons service. their rights. Obstructed access including work in the prepara- Revision of Prison Laws has for independent monitoring fur- tion of food. been a long felt need. A commit- ther clouds these practices and Asian Center for the tee under the chairmanship of has made it impossible to verify Progress of Peoples retired Supreme Court Judge, reports of enforced disappea- 1/F, 52, Princess Margaret Road O.S.M. Seneviratne has con- rance, torture and other ill treat- Kowloon, Hong Kong Phone: (852) 2714 5123 / cluded the revision of the Prison ment, or the continuing presence 2712 3989 Ordinance and the subsidiary of children among the adult Fax: (852) 2712 0152 legislation. The report had been detainees. E-mail: [email protected] submitted to the Minister of Website: www.acpp.org ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ South Korea: China Boycotts Religious Event Over Tibet Presence

Chinese delegates taking part returned home a day after lodg- ral accepted the Chinese demand in a religious event in South ing a complaint about Tibet’s that the Tibetans leave so the Korea abruptly flew home on presence, said a spokeswoman meeting could go smoothly,” she Wednesday in an apparent pro- for the organising committee. said, calling the decision by the test against Tibetan participa- On Tuesday three Tibetan WFB chief “embarrassing”. tion, organisers said. delegates were forced to leave a The three Tibetans are still The 17 Chinese monks and delegates’ assembly meeting af- taking part in other events at officials invited to the World ter Chinese officials threatened the five-day conference and the Fellowship of Buddhists (WFB) to boycott the meeting, she said. Chinese left South Korea Wed- conference ending this Friday “The WFB secretary-gene- nesday morning, she said.

Vol.28 No.3 23 Country Reports

About 400 delegates from Korea, is a special guest at some 30 countries are taking part the meeting in addition to in the two-yearly event in the the three official Tibetan southern city of Yeosu. delegates. Organisers initially It drew attention after sought to invite the Dalai Seoul’s government, in a rare Lama himself to the Yeosu move, approved a visa for conference but later dit- Samdhong Rinpoche, an exprime ched the plan out of con- minister of Tibet’s government- sideration for China. in-exile. Beijing considers the South Korea has several Dalai Lama a “splittist”, times in the past refused to grant despite his calls for au- In this file photo, released by World Fellowship of Buddhists Korea Conference a visa for Tibet’s exiled spiritual tonomy rather than inde- on June 11, Samdhong Rinpoche, a former leader the Dalai Lama, apparently pendence for Tibet, and prime minister of Tibet’s government-in- for fear of offending China. has stepped up pressure on exile, visits the Expo 2012 in the southern Rinpoche, the highest world leaders not to meet city of Yeosu ahead of the World Fellow- Tibetan official to visit South him. ship of Buddhists conference. ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ Tibet: News from the Dalai Lama “I told President Obama the leaders of the Chinese Commu- nist Party are missing a part of the brain, the part that contains common sense,” the Dalai Lama said to me during our conversa- tion in London in mid-June. But it can be put back in. I am hopeful about the new Chi- nese leadership beginning late this year. The communist leaders now lack self-confidence, but I have heard from my Chinese friends that after a year or two the new ones will take some initiatives, so more freedom, more democracy. persident since the Tibetan leader from 10 Downing Street. This The Dalai Lama, with whom began visiting Washington in June Cameron and Deputy Prime I have been talking periodically 1991. Minister Nick Clegg held a brief, since 1981, was in an ebullient Two meetings finally took unpublicized meeting with the mood even for him. He was re- place, in 2010 and 2011. Both Dalai Lama, who was about to ferring to a meeting with Obama were held in the White House address several thousand admir- in 2011. I had asked the Dalai Map Room rather than the Oval ers in St. Paul’s Cathedral. All Lama about those national lead- Office, after Beijing had warned such meetings, including the ers throughout the world, from against such an encounter: “We one at the cathedral, are routinely South Africa to Britain, who firmly oppose ang foreign official condemned by Beijing as “hurt- refuse to hold formal meetings to meet with the Dalai Lama ing the feelings of the Chinese with him because they fear in any form.” In Britain, Prime people.” Beijing’s anger. President Obama Ministers Gordon Brown and “If these national leaders declined to meet him in 2009, the David Cameron found other don’t see me that’s up to them,” first rebuff from an American venues for their meetings, far the Dalai Lama said. “But slowly

24 SEEDS OF PEACE Country Reports

Chinese people realize they have tem. “And there are also 1.3 bil- Panchen. Employing “authentic” been exploited, censored. The lion other Chinese who because rituals, the Communist Party then Communists tell them they don’t of their great culture have the chose its own boy, Gyaincain need Western-style democracy brains to distinguish right from Norbu. It was only too plain that and human rights. worng. More and more they are this rigamarole, as the Dalai In recent months, there have aware of their rights.” The Party Lama has remarked to me over been reports of self-immolations fears them, he added, and Liu is the years, was a dress rehearsal by Tibetans in China and Tibet, supposed to be a warning—an ex- for Beijing to select his own and there are concerns that the ample, he agreed, of the Chinese successor, the fifteenth Dalai human rights situation is worsen- saying “Strike the reooster to Lama, who it hopes will be ing. Yet as in previous meetings, frighten the monkey.” accepted by Tibetans, as their the Dalai Lama reflected without Particularly interesting was choice of Panchen has failed to rancor on Chinese Communist what the Dalai Lama had to be. rule over Tibet. “What has kept say about the eleventh Panchen I was surprised, therefore, by Tibetans going for 2,500 years? Lama, the second-most-eminent the Dalai Lama’s comments The Dharma.” This is the tradi- religious figure in Tibetan Bud- about the spurious Panchen. He tional Buddhist view of the uni- dhism, who has been chosen by mentioned 2008, when an upris- verse and its principles of human the Chinese leadership in Beijing, ing swept throughout Tibet behavior and wisdom. “How old in an apparent effort to impose proper and regions of China is the Communist Party? Less further control on Tibet. The populated by many Tibetans. Chi- than two hundred years [it was authentic eleventh Panchen, nese properties were destroyed, founded in 1921]. Admiration for Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, was some Han were killed, and a Tibetans throughout the world is chosen by the Dalai Lama in 1995 mumber of Tibetans are estimated always rising. Attitudes toward while the Tibetan leader was in to have been killed at the hands the Chinese Communist Party, exile india. In accordance with of the Chinese police and army. inside and outside China, couldn’ tradition, he made the choice five “Of course Beijing wanted t be worse.” years after the tenth incarnation the boy to denounce the upris- He noted that the Party sees died. ing,” the Dalai Lama observed. how Aung San Suu Kyi, the Bur- Beijing immediately de- “But some of his friends have mese opposition leader and a fel- nounced the choice as illegiti- told me that he remains a Tibetan low Nobel Peace Prize laureate, mate, kidnapped the child and deep inside and preferred to was admired throughout the his family—who have never been remain silent. Beijing couldn’t world for more than twenty years seen again—and imprisoned use him.” when she was a captive in for subversion the abbout of the Rangood and now, free at last, is Tashilhunpo monastery, the Jonathan Mirsky welcome everywhere. She was Panchen’s tradiional seat, who from The New York Review of Books in London in June, and Beijing had first identified little Choekyi August 16, 2012 cannot have been happy to see Nyima as a possible eleventh her meeting with the Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama told Suu Kyi that he admired her courage. Suksit Siam Bookshop The Dalai Lama said that opened on 20th April 2510 the reason Chinese Nobel Peace at 175 Rama IV Road, Bangkok Prize winner Liu Xiaobo is serv- ing an eleven-year prison sen- has now moved to its new location tence for subversion is “because at 117-119 Fuang Nakorn Road, Bangkok 10200 he is not just one individual. Tel: 02-225-9536-8, Fax: 02-222-5188 There are thousands of intelli- email: [email protected] gent, thinking people in China www.kledthaishopping.com who agree with him that change Open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. except Sunday. is necessary.” This means more transparency, he insisted, an end English books on Engaged Buddhism are available. to violence, and a real legal sys-

Vol.28 No.3 25 INEB

Letter from the Secretariat Office

Dear INEB members and readers,

Over the past four months in Siam there have been a lot of Buddhist events to celebrate 2600 years of Buddha’s enlightenment, and to celebrate the first sermon and establishment of the first ordained Buddhist Sangha. Maha Chulalongkorn Buddhist University here in Bangkok has been the main Buddhist institution organizing the ceremonies and seminars. Interestingly, they have invited President Mahinda Rajapaksa from Sri Lanka to be a key note speaker. As President during the civil war with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), over 20,000 Tamil people were killed during his term in office. This gives pause to reflect on the dilemma of being Buddhist, and role and influence of Buddhist institutions in politics. A few days after the International Vesak Day in India, Deer Park Institute, a partner of INEB, invited His Holiness the Dalai Lama to deliver the first ever teaching for the Indian Buddhists from the 6-9 June in Dharamsala. Over 1,500 Indian Buddhists attended the sessions with debriefing each day in Hindi by Ven. Samdhong Rinpoche, the former Prime Minister of the Tibetan Government in Exile. These two contrasting events give us opportunity to explore, in terms of structural violence and ethical issues, how Buddhists are promoting and celebrating Buddhism 2600 years after the Buddha’s enlightenment. On a different note, INEB is continuing to empower youth through exchange and internships, with continued support from FK, Norway. For the next three years, we are planning for exchanges between the Youth Buddhist Society (India), Kalayana Mitta Foundation (Burma), Sewalanka Foundation (Sri Lanka) and SPERI (Social Policy Ecology Research Institute,Vietnam). We also plan to continue the Young Bodhisattva Training, to train young socially engaged Buddhist activists to serve society. If any one of you are interested in this training, please do contact the Secretariat office. We are also very pleased to announce the set-up of the Right Livelihood Fund, which is ready to launch publicly. The Right Livelihood Fund brings people together to build more mindful and compassionate economic systems. It connects entrepreneurs, consumers, investors, workers, and citizens so that they can create new initiatives, and choose to work for, invest in, and buy from enterprises that share their values. For those who would like to work together on this, please do contact [email protected] The conference on Inter-Religious Dialogue on Climate Change and Biodiversity Conservation will host religious leaders, experts and practitioners at the Islander Centre, Anuradapura, Sri Lanka from the 23-27 September 2012. To date, we have confirmed about 80 participants from 20 countries with diverse religious backgrounds. For those who are interested to join us, please contact [email protected]. INEB will also host a high level panel discussion to address conservation scientists and national government decision makers at the IUCN World Conservation Congress on 8 September 2012. The focus will be on the role of religious leaders in promoting environmental sustainability, respect for life and a just approach to the use of resources. Participants in the panel will include a Bishop from Norway and South Africa, a Sultan from Niger and a Buddhist Monk from South Korea. The 2012 INEB Executive Meeting and International Forum The Wisdom of Inter-being and The Art of Happiness:A Buddhist Approach to Rebuilding Our Society and Ensuring Our Future, will take place during November 6-10, 2012 at Kodo Kyodan Buddhist Fellowship, Yokohama, Japan. Approximately 30 INEB executive members from various countries will attend to discuss various issues, including : Nuclear Power and Local Communities (economic development, gaps between urban and rural areas, energy policy, environmental problems, etc.); Suffering and Illness in Post Industrial Society (society with no inter-being [mu-en], social gaps, alienation, social recluses [hikikomori], suicide); and Japanese Buddhism Today: Problems and Potentials (funeral Buddhism, public benefit issues, secular society, priests’ identity, gender issues). On 10 November, we will have a Public Forum. If you are in Japan during that time, you are most welcome to join us for this special event, please see the poster of the event on the back cover of this issue.

Yours in Dhamma,

Somboon Chungprampree (Moo) Executive Secretary [email protected] www.inebnetwork.org

P.S. Please take advantage of reading Seeds of Peace online, where most back issues including the earliest ones, are available.

26 SEEDS OF PEACE INEB

2012 INEB Executive Meeting and International Forum: The Wisdom of Inter-being & The Art of Happiness A Buddhist Approach to Rebuilding Our Society and Ensuring Our Future

November 6-10, 2012 KodoKyodan Buddhist Fellowship Yokohama, Japan

Background: Over the past hold a major INEB Conference. reclusivity (hikikomori) and decade, INEB has sought to sup- For both the future growth of the suicide. The tragic triple disaster port and enrich its national and network and also to inspire of earthquake, tsunami, and regional partners by holding its engaged Buddhists in Japan to nuclear meltdown on March 11, bi-annual conference in different more deeply relate with the 2011 has only heightened these countries, which include to date: network, INEB feels this is a problems. Sri Lanka (1999), South Korea very opportune time to have a Since Japan’s push toward (2003), central India (2005), Tai- significant, and hopefully mean- modernization and “westerniza- wan (2007), east India (2011), ingful, interaction with Japanese tion” in the mid-1800s, Japanese and the next planned conference Buddhists and the Japanese Buddhism has been struggling to in Malaysia (2013). In off years, people in general. adapt. Its unprecedented step in INEB holds a separate Executive Buddhist Asia of allowing its and Advisory Committee meet- Theme: The theme of the previ- monks to abandon the monastic ing to administer to the general ous INEB Conference in Bo- vinaya while developing massive affairs of the network. This dhgaya, India was “The Future of modern lay denominations has meeting has always been held in Buddhism.” For Buddhist Asia, been a revolutionary step fraught Thailand where the INEB Secre- Japan in many ways shows what with problems but also filled tariat is based. However, there the future of Buddhism as well with potentials. Today, Japanese has been a proposal put forward as the future of these Asian soci- Buddhism faces the major chal- by the Executive Secretary of eties might come to look like. lenge of its marginalization in INEB in Bangkok to hold the next Japan is perhaps the only Asian a highly secular, post-modern Executive/Advisory Committee nation firmly established in a society. Mirroring the economic in 2012 in Japan. post-industrial, post-modern downturn and development of The principle reason for this world. The service economy has gaps between rich and poor in proposal has been to extend a replaced the industrial one. The mainstream society, the tradi- belated hand towards Japan after family has fractured even be- tional system of temples is in the experience of the catastro- yond the urban, nuclear model crisis, and Buddhism world is phic triple disaster of March 11, to a transient “dormitory” one of struggling to create a meaningful 2011—to both learn of its experi- members coming and going at all social role for itself in 21st cen- ences in facing these disasters hours of the day and night. The tury Japan. The trends and chal- and to offer support and experi- meaning of life is increasingly lenges in Japanese Buddhism ence from people who have faced elusive as the modern industrial offer important lessons to other similar challenges in the larger dream of secure, well paid, full Sanghas in Buddhist Asia as their network. A second reason is to time work is giving way to in- societies are following similar further build relationships with creasing socio-economic gaps paths of economic and social Japanese engaged Buddhists. between rich and poor, young development. While being a long time member and old, urban and rural and In this way, the Japan Net- of the network, Japan is the only increasing amounts of psycho- work of Engaged Buddhists country in East Asia to not yet spiritual disease such as social (JNEB), with its many represen-

Vol.28 No.3 27 INEB tative groups and individuals, Local Communities (economic identity, gender issue) looks forward to hosting the In- development, gaps between ➣ Leaders: Rev. Yoshiharu ternational Network of Engaged urban and rural, energy policy, Tomatsu, Rev. Yuzuki Mat- Buddhists (INEB) Executive and environmental problem, etc.) sushita, Rev. Jin Sakai Advisory Committees for a three ➣ Leaders: Rev. Hidehito ➣ 6th&7th: Tours around the day study tour and interaction. Okochi, Rev. Kobo Inoue, wider Tokyo metropolitan We look forward to showing our Prof. Hisashi Nakamura area to visit temples and international guests the realities ➣ 6th&7th: Study Tour to Fu- priests; to see the typical of Japanese society and Japanese kushima (radiation barrier life style of a married temple Buddhism as well as some of the areas, temporary shelters, family and their funeral and very meaningful social activities destroyed temples, problems memorial services; and also that Japanese Buddhist priests of rural society, etc.) to see a variety of new kinds and lay people are engaged in. ➣ Lodging: 6th: Fukushima of activities to revive the We also very much look forward temple; 7th: KodoKyodan temple in Japan. to our interactions with INEB’s (Yokohama) ➣ Lodging: KodoKyodan (Yo- senior leaders and receiving kohama) Group 2: Suffering and Illness further insights on how to further in Post Industrial Society (Soci- November 8-9: INEB Execu- the work here in Japan. Finally, ety with No Interbeing (mu-en), tive and Advisory Committee we hope this event will become social gaps, alienation, social Meeting the basis for collaborative acti- recluses (hikikomori), suicide) Site: KodoKyodan Buddhist vities on common issues of con- ➣ Leaders: Rev. Masazumi Fellowship (Yokohama) cern amongst us. Okano, Rev. Yukan Ogawa, ➣ 9th evening: group meal with November 5 & 11: Arrival and Chisa Yamashita JNEB members Departure (Tokyo) ➣ 6th: Meeting with members ➣ Please choose either Hane- of the Association of Priests November 10: Public Forum daOR Narita International Grappling with the Suicide at KodoKyodan (Yokohama) Airports. Haneda is closer Problem at KodoKyodan 10:00-12:00: Small Networking to Tokyo and Yokohama (Yokohama) Meeting (with 20- where you will stay.For ➣ 7th: Meeting with priests and 30 core Japanese those wishing to arrive participating in a hot meal engaged Bud- earlier or stay later, please event for the homeless in dhists) consult with us about af- Yokohama 13:00-17:00 Public Symposium fordable lodging and other ➣ Lodging: KodoKyodan 17:30-19:30 Farewell Party needs (Yokohama) ➣ Lodging: KodoKyodan November 6-7: Study Tours and Group 3: Japanese Buddhism (Yokohama) Interactions (7-8 people per Today: Problems and Potentials ➣ Staff: Jonathan Watts, Nao- group) (Funeral Buddhism, Public Ben- yukiOgi, Eka Shimada Group 1: Nuclear Power and efit issue, secular society, priests’

¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ Visions of an Empowered Future Notes from the 2011 International Network of Engaged Buddhists Conference in Bodhgaya The dusty little town of Bodh- very dangerous and that roving Devi, a gang leader who roamed gaya has changed a bit since the gangs threw nails into the streets these plains. An overwhelming first time I came as a pilgrim in so that they could rob stranded sea of beggars lined the gate 1999. At that time, Bihar was travelers when their tires blew of every temple. There was a known as the most corrupt and out. The chai wallahs often palpable hunger and desperation impoverished state in India. We asked, “Have you seen Bandit in the air. Back then, it struck me were warned by the chai wallah Queen?” referring to the 1994 that none of the locals seemed to at each tea shop that travel was film based on the life of Phoolan smile.

28 SEEDS OF PEACE INEB

Today, the town of Bodh- gaya—where Shakyamuni Bud- dha attained enlightenment—is still dusty, but there are far fewer beggars, and the children grin at me on the street. Thanks to recent reforms in government and the work of organizations like the Mahabodhi Society and the Light of Buddhadharma Foun- dation, there are projects in the works to improve sanitation, waste disposal, and education. It seemed fitting that a facing the monastic community, for the Future,” Joan Halifax conference on the future of Bud- youth issues, and dharma educa- commented, “As a very polarized dhism be held in its birthplace, a tion. activist in the 60s, I recognized site venerated by millions, once The Tibetan Buddhist teacher that the fire of my passion was neglected but now full of hope. Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse being fed by a very disturbed in- Last October, the International Rinpoche delivered the keynote ternal process.” Her sentiments Network of Engaged Buddhists, address on the first day of the reflected a notable shift in the or INEB, focused its biannual conference. He pointed out that culture of social activism from a gathering on “The Future of Bud- the future of Buddhism hinges dualistic Us versus Them para- dhism: From Personal Awaken- on its relationship with culture digm to one that evolves existing ing to Global Transformation.” and money: systems by working within them The ambitious agenda matched We need to look carefully at and developing new models that its grand venue (adjacent to the how culture and tradition— pose promising alternatives. sacred Mahabodhi Temple): the old habits that have meta- Halifax went on to say: newly constructed Thai temple morphosed into tradition— We have to address the issue complex of Wat Pa-Buddhagaya. are hijacking the true bud- of structural violence, Organized in partnership dhadharma. This is impor- whether it has to do with the with Deer Park Institute, the tant not only to traditionally marginalization of the dalits Jambudvipa Trust, and Youth Buddhist places but also for or women or dying people Buddhist Society of India, the new hosts....It is not that cul- or people who are impover- INEB event brought together ture has to be discarded, but ished, or even other species. over 350 luminaries—a diverse we have to realize that they We have a responsibility to range of monastics, scholars, are two different things. The engage in activities that artists, and activists from Asia, teachings have to be deliv- are related to the transfor- Africa, Europe, Australia, and the ered through culture, but mation of our social and Americas. The list of speakers their relationship is like the political system. included cofounder and Nobel cup and [the] tea. Peace Prize nominee Ajarn Sulak In this spirit, attendees wit- Sivaraksa, Roshi Joan Halifax, The future of Buddhism, he nessed the launch of an exciting Hozan Alan Senauke, Venerable explained, relies not only on the initiative called the Right Live- Dr. Tsering Palmo, and Vener- sangha and religious heads. lihood Fund. Its goal is to men- able Bhikkhuni Dhammananda. Patrons of dharma will play a tor individuals and groups in- Participants met in workshops, critical role in shaping its future terested in building small busi- panels, and field trips to discuss by determining how they give, nesses and social enterprise Buddhist economics and social to whom they give, and in what projects that are sustainable, entrepreneurship, sustainability situations they choose to give. ecological, and supportive of and climate change, war and “We need a more intelligent eco- spiritual growth. conflict resolution, traditional art nomics and [a broader perspec- Matteo Pistono, author of In and new media, working with tive on] success,” he said. the Shadow of the Buddha and a death and dying, challenges During a panel on “Dharma forthcoming history on engaged

Vol.28 No.3 29 INEB

Lanka, and India ter, and the development of local at the Bodhgaya initiatives through the Light of Cambodian Tem- Buddhadharma Foundation’s ple. A generation Beautiful Bodhgaya program. of young Buddhist Whether we are applying for a leaders has emerg- grant to start a social enterprise ed from this pro- or lending our time to improving gram over the last waste disposal systems at sacred decade, including sites, our power lies in our com- Prashant Varma, mitment to our ideas and in our cofounder of the ability to network with others renowned Deer who will support our endeavors. Buddhism, reflected on the Park Institute, a center for the A sense of pragmatic optimism conference participants: study of classical Indian wisdom and collective solidarity per- What impresses me most is traditions in Bir, India. vaded every conversation I was how this varied group col- Harsha Navaratne, INEB a part of. lectively works to reduce Executive Committee Chairper- Addressing the congrega- within ourselves greed, ha- son and founder of Sewalanka tion, Sulak Sivaraksa quoted the tred, and ignorance, while Foundation in Sri Lanka, com- poet Rabindranath Tagore: simultaneously combating mended the young Buddhist The time has come for us to how these poisons manifest leaders in his opening remarks: break open the treasure-trove in society as consumerism, The youngsters are our most of our ancestors and use it militarism, and mass media. valuable asset. They under- for our commerce of life. Let stand the challenges of the us, with its help, make our In conjunction with the modern world, and they future our own, and not con- main conference, INEB organized have shown enormous cre- tinue our existence as the two satellite events that focused ativity and commitment as eternal rag-pickers in other on youth issues and Buddhist they search for innovative people’s dustbins. art. The International Buddhist new ways of working. May Art Gathering’s “Pilgrimage to they have the courage to Seize the day. Indeed, seize the Roots of Our Heritage” in- take risks and the strength the future. vited 33 artists from China, Laos, to learn from experience. The One thing is for certain: the Burma, Thailand, Vietnam, Sri future of Buddhism is truly future holds the next eagerly Lanka, India, and the United in their hands. awaited INEB conference, sched- States to transform the premises uled for 2013 in Kuala Lumpur, of another Thai temple, Wat Thai At the beginning of the Malaysia. And if the changes in Buddhagaya, into a veritable arts conference, I found it difficult to little Bodhgaya are any indica- village for seven days. I was wrap my head around “the future tion, that future will be clearer among the artists who came to of Buddhism.” It seemed such a and cleaner once we take up a participate. The workshop cul- vague and vast topic. But the broom and simply begin to minated in an exhibition, shown INEB gathering imparted a sense sweep. at Tibet House in New York of confidence that not only are Minette Lee Mangahas is City last November, of over 35 we all—each and every one of an artist and writer who lives in original works reflecting both us—contributors to our present Brooklyn, NY, and Asia. Learn traditional and new media art circumstances, but individually more about her work at brush forms. and collectively we shape the song.com. The other event, “Young future in very deliberate and Bodhisattva Program for Leader- simple, if ambitious, small steps. Photographs ship Training in Spiritual Resur- The conference demonstrated by Minette Lee Mangahas gence and Social Innovation,” this with the launch of visionary hosted 35 participants from programs like the Right Liveli- * The Buddhist review tricycle : Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, hood Fund, the inception of an SUMMER 2012 Malaysia, Thailand, Burma, Sri intercultural Buddhist Art cen-

30 SEEDS OF PEACE INEB

Lesbian Couple to Take Vows in Nation’s First Public Buddhist Same-Sex Union

The decision by a Buddhist master to host the event will help push awareness about sexual inequalities further into the public realm, the bride said Two devout Buddhist wo- men are to hold the nation’s first gay Buddhist wedding next month as part of an effort to push for the legalization of same-sex marriages in Taiwan. “We are not only doing it for ourselves, but also for other gays and lesbians,” Fish Huang said in a telephone interview. The 30-year-old social worker at a non-governmental organization said that marriage between a local writer and his Chao-hwei ( ), who is also never crossed her mind until she foreign partner. The event drew a professor at Hsuan Chuang saw a movie last year. widespread media attention and University, said Buddhist teach- The film portrayed two les- inspired many gays to follow ings do not prohibit homosexual bians whose ill-fated relationship their footsteps. behavior. concluded after one died and the Huang’s wedding, however, Compared with Western re- other was left heartbroken over will be the first with a Buddhist ligions, Buddhism on the whole the denial of spousal benefits. theme. is more tolerant toward homo- “It’s so sad,” Huang said, While planning for her wed- sexuality because there is no who plans to wed her partner ding, Huang found out, to her concrete rule banning the prac- of seven years on Aug. 11 at a surprise, that some of her Bud- tice in Buddhist scriptures, Shih Buddhist altar in Taoyuan County. dhist friends were hesitant about said. Both brides are planning to attending the ceremony. “It’s difficult enough to wear white wedding gowns and “They are not sure if it would maintain a relationship ... how listen to lectures given by Bud- break their vows and were very could you be so stingy as to dhist masters about marriage, anxious,” Huang said. begrudge a couple for wanting to accompanied by a series of She messaged a Buddhist get married, regardless of their chantings and blessings from master on Facebook, asking her sexual orientation,” she said in a monks and nuns. if she could find grounds in telephone interview. Although homosexual mar- Buddhism for condemning the However, Shih recognized riages are not legally recognized practice of homosexuality. there is disagreement on the in Taiwan, Huang insisted on To Huang’s surprise, the issue both inside and outside tying the knot because she wants master quickly replied that Bud- Buddhist circles. to make her relationship com- dhism shows no bias toward ho- Shih noted that Huang and plete and raise awareness about mosexuality. In a demonstration her partner could face criticism. the difficulties faced by sexual of support, the master said she “The first step is always the minorities. was willing to host the ceremony hardest,” Shih said. Alternative sexual orienta- for the couple. tion and marriage have yet to be “It is meaningful to us that Dhamma MasterShih Chao-hwei serving as a Patron of INEB widely accepted by the general our wedding can give hope to public, despite years of effort by other homosexuals and help Published on Taipei Times : activists to secure equality in heterosexuals understand how Sun, Jul 08, 2012 - Page 3 Taiwan. Buddhism views sexuality,” http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/ The first public gay marriage Huang said. taiwan/archives/2012/07/08/ in Taiwan took place in 1996 The Buddhist master Shih 2003537249

Vol.28 No.3 31 Sulak Sivaraksa

Harmonizing Life with the Waterways

When we talk about body of compassion and love, and delu- death and the afterlife. Wisely waters we tend to think only of sion into (holistic) wisdom. Also, regulating the water and wind rivers, lakes, oceans and seas. Buddha combined wisdom and elements thus plays a crucial Often, we overlook the fact that compassion or knowledge and role in the cycle of life, death and our body is also filled with vari- love into one in a way that tran- rebirth. Unfortunately, most ous kinds of water ranging from scended selfishness, and thus people in contemporary society mucous to saliva, blood to urine. enabling Buddha to struggle for have neglected this dimension in Human beings are said to be com- the benefits of all sentient beings. life. posed of four essential elements: According to Buddha’s life If we lack spiritual or reli- earth, water, wind and fire. These story, an army of demons ap- gious depth, our ability to con- four elements will be in harmony peared to obstruct his enlighten- trol the external body of waters when life is led appropriately. If ment. Buddha pointed his finger will also be deficient or ineffec- any of these elements is lacking at the hair of a water goddess, tive. For instance, it will not be or in excess then our good health draining water from it to flood holistic enough. Sadly, the an- may be undermined. the advancing demons. The nual Loy Krathong festival has In Buddhism, the wind ele- demons were not killed by the been thoroughly commercia- ment appears to be the most im- torrent of water but were trans- lized and manipulated by the portant one. Why? Because life is formed into an army of the just. tourism industry. Thus, it has extinguished with our last breath, Their weapons were trans- deprived contemporary Thais of and because Buddhism stresses formed into candles and incense an important moment to grasp the importance of mindful sticks to venerate their con- the spiritual dimension of a way breathing as practiced by Buddha queror. This story can be read as of life that is in harmony with the in order to attain enlightenment. a way of saying that the wind body of waters; that is, a way of (Although water is less impor- element is more important than life in which goodness, beauty tant than wind; without water the water element, and that water and leisure are harmonized. Our life will also perish. However, may be used to defeat the demons ancestors had led this way of we will survive longer without of greed, hatred and delusion. life. water than without wind.) Perhaps we should bear this .... This year marks the 2600 story in mind when we pour I believe that in order to years of Buddha’s enlighten- ceremonial water after merit- harmonize life with the body ment. At the very least, we must making. of waters, we must attempt to bear in mind that Buddha at- The point of intersection understand the traditional wis- tained enlightenment through between the water and the wind dom of our ancestors. We must the cultivation of mindful breath- elements in the body is called learn to build on this body of ing and the overcoming of greed, “bindhu.” This is a very impor- wisdom in order to have suffi- hatred and delusion. More pre- tant point. We must learn to cient strength to counter the cisely, Buddha transformed regulate “bindhu.” It will help us mainstream currents of global- greed into generosity, hatred into in the mindful preparation for ization that are dominated by

32 SEEDS OF PEACE Sulak Sivaraksa capitalism, materialism and con- We should then proceed to roads were subsequently built sumerism and that are lacking ask how to regulate the body so in accordance with the wishes of in spiritual substance, thereby that mind and heart are harmo- westerners. We began to cut our transforming human beings into nized; that is, mind/heart. We roots and increasingly tilted economic animals. must first learn how to breathe, westward. The more we tilted .... to make the breath consonant westward, the more problems we Likewise, many contempo- with the fluid flowing in the had to encounter subsequently.... rary Indians have adopted the body. Only then will we be able We must also be reminded worldviews of mainstream glo- to serve others—all sentient be- that the full name of Bangkok balization. Huge dams funded ings and Nature—with humility contains references to Ayuttha- by the World Bank were built to and increasing selflessness. ya. We tend to forget this fact generate electricity. A good The kingdom of Ayutthaya when we use the abbreviated example is the Sardar Sarovar lasted for over 400 years. Its name for Bangkok in the Thai Project on the Narmada River— capital was situated on an island. language. once seen as a sacred waterway Numerous waterways passed As mentioned earlier, Bang- for more than a thousand years. through the kingdom as well. kok was essentially seen and (Narmada was deemed as even Our ancestors relied on boats created as ‘New Ayutthaya.’ more sacred than the Ganges and rafts for transportation. They Like the capital of Ayutthaya, River.).... depended on the body of waters Bangkok had an intricate net- Fortunately, local Indians in the kingdom for livelihood as work of waterways and its resi- and civil society groups have well as for leisure and religious dents lived in harmony with the risen up to oppose this blind ceremonies. natural environment. Small won- faith in technology. They have Burma unsuccessfully in- der that westerners used to call formed a Narmada river conser- vaded Ayutthaya several times. Bangkok the ‘Venice of the vation movement called “Nar- The kingdom’s system of water- East.’ But then we eradicated mada Bachao Andolan.” This ways proved to be a formidable our roots. Paved roads took the movement has successfully ar- and impenetrable shield against place of many if not most canals. rested the dam project, relying on the Burmese troops. The fall of We removed the trees along the traditional wisdom and spiritual Ayutthaya was above all due to rivers and streams. We polluted values and knowledge of modern the lack of internal cohesion. the waterways. And we began to science and technology, which Our ancestors in Ayutthaya place blind faith in science and are never neutral but always never dreamed of defeating or technology, believing that they serve capitalist and statist inter- conquering the body of waters in are able to solve every problem. ests. the kingdom. Rather they had The mass flooding last year The story of the Narmada lived alongside them. Our ances- further increased our faith in the river conservation movement tors respected the waters sur- magical power of science and provides us with a valuable les- rounding them. They benefited technology. Here we should son: any successful opposition from these waters. They also learn from Japan instead. Many to mega-development projects saw in these waters a source of Japanese have opposed their done in the name of moderniza- beauty.... country’s reliance on nuclear tion must be based on a profound With the establishment of a power to generate electricity. understanding of and respect for new kingdom with Bangkok .... traditional wisdom and values. as the capital, members of the A white elephant once The recent mass flooding in ruling class did not forget their adorned the Thai national flag. Siam, the earthquake, tsunami roots. They wanted to make Elephants were considered an and nuclear meltdown in Japan Bangkok a replica of the old important animal in the king- last year, and numerous natural capital in Ayutthaya. The first dom....When we changed our disasters worldwide are sufficient three kings of the new dynasty national flag to the tri-colored signs telling us that we cannot in Bangkok continued to see and one as used in the present, the conquer Nature. The latest scien- call themselves as King of Ayut- more we obediently followed the tific and technological advance- thaya. This practice changed dur- West. When we changed our ment cannot subjugate Nature. ing the Fourth Reign whereby the country’s name to ‘Thailand’, it Perhaps, this is a sufficient rea- Thai monarch became King of became clear that we had lost our son to question the Newtonian Siam. In part, this was done to way. Subsequently, we became a and Cartesian world-views. pander to foreign interests. New satellite of the American empire,

Vol.28 No.3 33 Sulak Sivaraksa especially since the late 1940s. However, we must respect consumerism and moving toward In our quest for modernization the ‘backward’ people through- a new socialism and environmen- based on American social science out the country who are living in talism. Everything around us we abandoned our agrarian roots harmony with nature and oppos- should unfold naturally and sim- and became an industrial-based ing runaway capitalism and ply. The gap between the rich and society. We think that we can globalization. We must identify the poor must be radically re- defeat nature and began to live with their struggles. We must duced. We must respect and be like economic animals. We are struggle to reclaim our roots and persistently humble in our rela- always insecure, worrying that the stream of life as envisioned tions with nature. others will not see us as modern. by our ancestors. And so we have tried our best to .... The Thailand Research Fund travel closely along the footsteps This can only be done by 21 June 2012 of the West. subtracting from capitalism and ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ The Role of the University in the Promotion of Human Rights in the Southern Provinces A point that must never be tron-client system flourished in leading figure in the Indian inde- forgotten, especially among the university councils? A recent pendence movement. However, ruling elites and those with im- spate of maleficent acts by uni- when he became prime minister portant administrative positions versity presidents and councils, he governed India like an English at the national and provincial ranging from Srinakarinwirote colonist. He was a byproduct of levels and in the private and to Ramkhamheng Universities, the English education system; public sectors, is that as a society Thammasat to Chulalongkorn Harrow School and the Univer- we have a penchant for self- Universities, have thrown the sity of Cambridge had brain- delusion. Often, we would turn picture of universities as a bas- washed Nehru to see himself as away from the truth. Also, we tion of democracy into serious superior to his fellow country- have been almost completely doubt. men. To what extent have our eradicated from our roots. It’s What is the social function Oxford-educated prime ministers often said that we have success- of the university? Is it to produce been better than Nehru? For ex- fully and wisely blended the capable graduates for the job ample, the Pramoj brothers and universal with the local and market and for life in the capi- Abhisit Vejjajiva were Oxford adapted foreign ideas to the local talist world? If the university is graduates. Anand Panyarachun context. But is this really true? conceived in this way, then it is graduated from Cambridge. Was Have we been able to carefully not radically different from a he a better prime minister than discern the strengths and weak- driving or computer school. the rest of the British-educated nesses of Western civilization Thai universities are mod- ones? Isn’t Tanin Kraivixien, a and prudently appropriate the eled after Western universities. Barister-at-law from London, one features that are most suitable for Many if not most of their top- of the worst prime ministers in our society? To what extent do level administrators proclaimed Thai history thus far? we really understand ‘democ- to be Buddhist, but have they This doesn’t mean that all racy’—and not to say of human ever heard of the University of British universities are bad or rights? Nalanda or Takshila? Oxford and have always been bad. Tony Judt Universities often portray Cambridge are reputedly the recalled that during his time at themselves as a model of demo- two best universities in the UK. Cambridge, professors there cratic governance and as ac- But are we aware that William were truly knowledgeable in countable and transparent insti- Blake once condemned these their areas of expertise and tutions. But have university pres- two universities for producing devoted their lives to cultivating idents become too powerful? graduates who went on to exploit the academic excellence of their Have university councils become and oppress the peoples in the students. They did not aspire for too dictatorial? Hasn’t the pa- British colonies? Nehru was a fame, wealth and political power.

34 SEEDS OF PEACE Sulak Sivaraksa

But then Judt conceded that marginalized and vulnerable were necessary for the cultiva- today most professors at both social groups, lived in harmony tion of truth, beauty and good- Oxford and Cambridge no longer with nature, and dedicated their ness. For example, the practice of adhered to this selfless position. lives to the social good? professors and students praying The top university in the US Only a few names come together at the college chapel is Harvard. Its motto is “veritas”, across my mind: Pridi Banom- should be promoted. And so on. which is Latin for truth. I have yong from France, Puey Ung- Put another way, the univer- a Canadian friend who was a phakorn and MC Sittiporn Kri- sity would lead in the provision Harvard student during the Viet- dakorn from England. The ruling of worldly knowledge. But the nam War. He didn’t see Harvard elites had betrayed both Pridi and colleges would provide guidance professors siding with the forces Puey, and they ultimately had to in terms of ethical and moral of veritas. Rather they gravitated spend the rest of their lives in development. College dons who toward serving (imperial) power exile. Prince Sittiporn spent 11 served this function were called in an ethically blind manner. A years in jail. “moral tutors” or “in loco paren- good example is Henry Kissinger The next question is why is it tis”, which literally means par- who was a Harvard professor very difficult if not impossible ents of students. before he became National Secu- for Western-style universities to Students were often influ- rity Advisor and Secretary of teach their students to be good, enced by their tutors. Tutors thus State. Kissinger presided over ethical, compassionate and will- could act as the kalyanamitta of the destruction of Vietnam, Cam- ing to serve the marginalized and students. As long as they still bodia, and Laos. Another notori- vulnerable in society? believed in God and His Com- ous Harvard professor was the Erasmus had already pon- mandments, both professors late Samuel Huntington who dered on this question at the time and students could flourish as preached about the clash of civi- when Protestantism broke with good Christians. As for worldly lizations between the West and Catholicism. The former accused knowledge, it became a separate the Rest and who fanned fear of the latter of exerting absolute sphere. the ‘Muslim’ world. control over knowledge, thought, When the belief in God Students from universities goodness and morality. There- became increasingly challenged throughout the US came out to fore, the people had no space for because it could not be scienti- protest against the Vietnam War. freedom. Protestants began to fically proven, education in the But campus culture at Harvard, ask daring questions that Catho- college system simply became Yale and Princeton was much lics couldn’t answer. In the end, ceremonial; that is, it became less radical, if not outright there was a huge pile of ques- devoid of spiritual or moral sub- reactionary. Can we really say tions without answers. This gave stance. Modern science since that these universities stand for rise to the creation of numerous Galileo and Newton had turned “veritas”, justice and human denominations, which provided its back to religious teachings. rights? answers to (some of) these ques- And with the advent of Cartesian My Canadian friend turned tions. Reason, thought became the to Buddhism to overcome the Erasmus stood with Catholi- judge of all things. For instance, hatred he had for his alma mater. cism or the status quo. Neverthe- the more one is able to think or After graduating from Harvard, less, he contended that it must be the deeper one’s thought the my friend became professor at open to the new ideas raised by more one is seen as dominant— a university in Canada. He intro- Protestantism. Erasmus was a the more one is seen as superior duced the study of nonviolence significant figure who advocated to other human beings and ani- (especially as taught by Gandhi) the reorganization or reform of mals—and even to nature as a into the university’s curricula. university education. He saw the whole. He told me that every time he importance of creating a college This mainstream way of returned to Harvard he felt system within the university thinking cannot talk about the nauseated by its hypocrisy and structure. The university and its good. G.E. Moore of the Univer- ethical blindness. colleges would be responsible sity of Cambridge had clearly This is no small matter. But for providing knowledge to stated that the good cannot be how many Thais graduates from students. But the colleges would defined, proven and concretely Western universities have actu- have an additional function. They taught. Religion has also become ally stood steadfastly for truth would be responsible for foster- less effective in teaching about and justice, sided with the most ing the culture and practices that the good. Moreover, mainstream

Vol.28 No.3 35 Sulak Sivaraksa thinking became embedded with to understand the role of the ther. They must see each other as capitalism and consumerism. university in society. equals. If this spirit is success- Therefore, in mainstream culture There are however good signs fully cultivated, it will be an people are inclined to be more here and there. We have more important foundation on which power-seeking and sociopathic. alternative sources of education. selflessness and humility can be As such, the excluded and mar- For instance, Schumacher had built. ginalized in society became trailblazed the study of Buddhist This spirit can then be spread more vulnerable and oppressed. economics. Venerable P.A. beyond the university. As our Nature is increasingly destroyed. Payutto further developed it, kalyanamitta, individuals from Although Marxism is different and now even mainstream eco- other walks of life, cultures, from capitalism it is still not con- nomists like Amartya Sen and religions, etc. can broaden our ducive to santi pracha dhamma. Joseph Stiglitz have picked up horizon. We must be willing and Mainstream knowledge is on it. Stiglitz has warned that ready to learn from them with an also compartmentalized. For runaway capitalism will end up open mind and heart. From this instance, medical science is only destroying the world. Today, point, we will be able to develop about the body that is delinked the concept of Gross National human rights concretely, not from the mind. The mind is Happiness is gaining currency. only theoretically. disregarded because it is not a At the beginning of this year, an If we understand that local concrete organ. Medical science international conference on “The wisdom is not necessarily infe- has also been attached to the in- Economics of Happiness” was rior to academic knowledge, terest and profit of transnational even held in the US. Glenn Paige then this will be an important corporations. This fact must be has pioneered the study of a non- groundwork for democratic gov- fully exposed and critiqued. An- violent political science in his ernance, which is not reducible other example is that the study of book Political Science without to holding periodic elections geography is detached from the Killing. The Mind and Life Insti- and having a government led by issue of Earth rights as enshrined tute under the patronage of H.H. the party winning the majority of in the Earth Charter. We must the Dalai Lama is also experi- votes. respect the Earth. We must be menting with Buddhist science. Real democracy means humble in our relationship with And so on. absolute power of the people. Mother Earth. So we are back to the ques- Economic inequality in society The history that is being tion “what is the role of the must be drastically lessened. taught in the classroom is highly university in the promotion of Basic human rights entail nationalistic. It often legitimates human rights in the southern the respect for one another; that the violence and oppression of provinces?” is, mutual coexistence, the ma- the powerful. Often, it provides To answer this question, we jority respecting the rights of hagiographies of great men, lead- must first find out whether or minorities, unity in diversity, etc. ing to for instance the uncritical not university presidents and In the country’s southern adulation of King Naraesuan. especially university councils provinces, most people are of People’s history as popularized clearly understand the role of the Malay ethnicity. Most are also by the late Howard Zinn is not university. Do they really know Muslims. We must pay special taught. Thai history also tends to how to transform their rhetorical respect to them—to their culture, depict our neighbors and ethnic allegiance to truth, beauty and religion, and language. If we minorities in the kingdom in a goodness into concrete results? openly admit that the Thai state horrendous light. Where are Are they morally courageous and and ruling elites have long equality and human rights in all willing to open the university to exploited and oppressed these this? be a place for the exchange of people, there is still a possibility I will not go into the details, views and dialogues between they will come to understand and but it seems that every discipline academics and the most vulner- trust us. This will not be easy. It produces compartmentalized able groups in society? will require a lot of patience and knowledge. Mainstream econo- An environment must be perseverance. We must first mics promotes greed. Main- created to enable professors and admit that we were in the wrong. stream political science nurtures students to serve as one ano- Excerpted from a speech delivered hatred. Mainstream science ther’s kalyanamitta. They must at Thaksin University, promotes delusion. We must have mutual respect for and be Songkhla campus, try to understand this in order willing to learn from one ano- on 29 June 2012.

36 SEEDS OF PEACE Articles

The Cinderella Economy: An Answer to Unsustainable Growth?

As worldwide Governments mantra ‘growth equals jobs’ is (fuel and other minerals) for blindly attempt to support unlim- frankly unhelpful when growth people’s time. And that in the ited growth using limited re- itself is not just unlikely but process we’ve created a lot of the sources, Tim Jackson believes sometimes positively unpala- ecological problems we now have the answer to true sustainability table. to solve. My point here is rather may lie on the economy’s fringes More to the point, this man- to draw attention to the structural Society is faced with a pro- tra turns out to be false in general. demands imposed by ever rising found dilemma. To refrain from The relationship between growth labour productivity. growth is to risk economic and and jobs isn’t straightforward at Put simply, the obsession social collapse. To pursue it all; it’s mediated by something with labour productivity means relentlessly is to endanger the called labour productivity: the that if our economies don’t grow, ecological systems on which we amount of output delivered (on we risk putting people out of depend for survival. average) by each hour of work work, even without increases in For the most part, this di- in the economy. When labour the population. Higher unemp- lemma goes entirely unrecog- productivity stays constant, then loyment generates rising welfare nised. When reality starts to sure, an increase in output leads costs. Higher public spending impinge on the collective con- to an increase in employment. leads to unwieldy levels of sover- sciousness, the best suggestion But if labour productivity in- eign debt. Higher debts can only to hand is that we can somehow creases faster than output does, be serviced by increasing tax decouple growth from its ma- then unemployment can rise revenues from future income. terial impacts and to continue even with a rise in the GDP: it’s We’re literally hooked on growth. to do so even as the economy quite possible for this to lead to This unhappy dynamic has continues to grow indefinitely. ‘jobless growth’. Conversely of recently prompted the revival of The green economy—as this course if labour productivity an old idea. If there’s less work idea is often called—was all the stabilises or declines then it’s to be had in the economy, for rage at Rio in June. possible for employment to rise whatever reason, then perhaps The reasons for such blind even without a rise in the GDP. we should all just work less and utopianism are easy enough to At first sight this doesn’t enjoy it. As it happens, we’ve find. The modern economy is seem very comforting either. always taken some of the labour structurally reliant on growth We’ve become so accustomed productivity gains in the form of for its stability. When growth to see labour productivity as the increased leisure time. Working falters, as it has done recently, engine of progress in modern hours in the UK declined by 15% politicians panic. Businesses capitalist economies. It’s our between 1970 and 2005. struggle to survive. People lose ability to generate more output Reducing working hours their jobs and sometimes their with fewer people that’s lifted further is the simplest and most homes. A spiral of recession our lives out of drudgery and often cited solution to the chal- looms. Questioning growth is delivered us the cornucopia of lenge of maintaining full em- deemed to be the act of lunatics, material wealth—iPhones, hy- ployment with declining output. idealists and revolutionaries. brid cars, cheap holiday flights And it has a surprising pedigree. But shooting the messenger and plasma screen TVs—to In an essay called simply ‘Eco- won’t evade the dilemma. With which we would all very much nomic possibilities for our grand- oil prices clinging tenaciously to like to become accustomed. children’ published in 1932, John the once-inconceivable $100 a Let’s leave aside here mo- Maynard Keynes foresaw a time barrel mark and carbon emis- mentarily that one of the ways in when we would all work less and sions rising faster than ever which we’ve achieved this re- spend more time with our family, before, we need something more markable feat is by substituting our friends and our community. than wishful thinking to avert capital (lots of clever techno- Every cloud has a silver lining? the calamities ahead. The policy logy) and material resources It’s certainly a strategy worth

Vol.28 No.3 37 Articles thinking about, when growth is more and more patients per hour? the margins of consumer society. hard to come by. Our nurses to rush from bed to Yet, people often achieve a But simple arithmetic sug- bed no longer able to feel empa- greater sense of well being and gests another powerful option for thy and offer comfort. Compas- fulfilment, both as producers and keeping people in work when sion fatigue is a rising scourge in as consumers of these activities, demand stagnates. What hap- the caring professions, hounded than they ever do from the time- pens if we relinquish our fetish by meaningless productivity tar- poor, materialistic, supermarket for labour productivity? Sounds gets. Or to take another example, economy in which most of our crazy at first. We’ve become so what—aside from meaningless lives are spent. And here perhaps conditioned by the language of noise—is to be gained by asking is the most remarkable thing of efficiency. Output is everything. the London Philharmonic to play all: because these activities are Time is money. The drive for in- Beethoven’s 9th Symphony faster built around the exchange of creased labour productivity oc- and faster each year? human services rather than the cupies reams of academic litera- Trivial though this example relentless throughput of material ture and haunts the waking hours seems, it has its roots in another stuff, there’s a half decent chance of CEOs and Treasury Ministers famous economic essay by the of making the economy more across the world. nonagenarian economist Wil- sustainable. In some places, this still liam Baumol. Analysing the In short, achieving a green makes sense. Who would rather dynamics of the cultural sector, economy may be less to do with keep their accounts in longhand? he identified a general trend in sustained growth and techno- Wash hotel sheets by hand? modern service-based econo- logical utopianism and more to Or mix concrete with a spade? mies to slow down over time. do with building an economy of Between the backbreaking, the Why? Because services require care, craft and culture. And in demeaning and the downright irreducible inputs of people’s doing so, restoring the value of boring, labour productivity has a time. The phenomenon has come human labour to its rightful place lot to commend itself. to be called ‘Baumol’s cost dis- at the heart of the society. But there are places too ease’. Low productivity growth where chasing labour producti- sectors are the scourge of modern Tim Jackson, vity doesn’t stack up at all. What economies. In formal terms these 27 July 2012 sense does it make to ask our enterprises barely count. They Source: www.theecologisit.org teachers to teach ever bigger represent a kind of Cinderella classes? Our doctors to treat economy that sits neglected at ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ Destroying the Commons How the Magna Carta Became a Minor Carta

Down the road only a few gen- not an attractive prospect if pre- was entitled The Great Charter erations, the millennium of Ma- sent tendencies persist—not and the Charter of the Forest. gna Carta, one of the great events least, because the Great Charter is The first, the Charter of Liber- in the establishment of civil and being shredded before our eyes. ties, is widely recognized to be human rights, will arrive. Whether The first scholarly edition the foundation of the fundamen- it will be celebrated, mourned, or of Magna Carta was published tal rights of the English-speaking ignored is not at all clear. by the eminent jurist William peoples-or as Winston Churchill That should be a matter of Blackstone. It was not an easy put it more expansively, “the serious immediate concern. task. There was no good text charter of every self-respecting What we do right now, or fail to available.... man at any time in any land.” do, will determine what kind of Blackstone’s edition ac- .... world will greet that event. It is tually includes two charters. It

38 SEEDS OF PEACE Articles

The Second Charter and the can workers denounced this New Commons Spirit, which was being imposed The significance of the com- upon them, regarding it as panion charter, the Charter of the demeaning and destructive, an Forest, is no less profound and assault on the very nature of free perhaps even more pertinent men and women. And I stress today.... The Charter of the Forest women; among those most ac- demanded protection of the tive and vocal in condemning the commons from external power. destruction of the rights and dig- The commons were the source nity of free people by the capital- of sustenance for the general ist industrial system were the population: their fuel, their food, “factory girls,” young women their construction materials, from the farms. They, too, were whatever was essential for life. driven into the regime of super- The forest was no primitive vised and controlled wage wilderness. It had been carefully Noam Chomsky labor.... developed over generations, maintained in common, its riches Controlling the Desire for available to all, and preserved punished under the rules of the Democracy for future generations—practices investor-rights regime misla- That was 150 years ago—in found today primarily in tradi- beled as “free trade”.... England earlier. Huge efforts tional societies that are under The rise of capitalist practice have been devoted since to in- threat throughout the world. and morality brought with it a culcating the New Spirit of the The Charter of the Forest radical revision of how the com- Age. Major industries are de- imposed limits to privatization. mons are treated, and also of how voted to the task: public rela- The Robin Hood myths capture they are conceived. The prevail- tions, advertising, marketing the essence of its concerns.... By ing view today is captured by generally, all of which add up to the seventeenth century, how- Garrett Hardin’s influential a very large component of the ever, this Charter had fallen vic- argument that “freedom in a Gross Domestic Product. They tim to the rise of the commodity commons brings ruin to us all,” are dedicated to what the great economy and capitalist practice the famous “tragedy of the com- political economist Thorstein and morality. mons”: what is not owned will be Veblen called “fabricating With the commons no longer destroyed by individual avarice. wants”.... protected for cooperative nurtur- ... The process of shaping opin- ing and use, the rights of the The grim forecasts of the ion, attitudes, and perceptions common people were restricted tragedy of the commons are was termed the “engineering of to what could not be privatized, a not without challenge. The late consent” by one of the founders category that continues to shrink Elinor Olstrom won the Nobel of the modern public relations to virtual invisibility. In Bolivia, Prize in economics in 2009 for industry, Edward Bernays. He the attempt to privatize water was, her work showing the superiority was...much like his contem- in the end, beaten back by an of user-managed fish stocks, pas- porary, journalist Walter Lip- uprising that brought the indig- tures, woods, lakes, and ground- pmann, the most prominent pub- enous majority to power for the water basins. But the conven- lic intellectual of twentieth cen- first time in history. The World tional doctrine has force if we tury America, who praised “the Bank has just ruled that the min- accept its unstated premise: that manufacture of consent” as a ing multinational Pacific Rim humans are blindly driven by “new art” in the practice of de- can proceed with a case against what American workers, at the mocracy. El Salvador for trying to preserve dawn of the industrial revolution, Both recognized that the lands and communities from bitterly called “the New Spirit of public must be “put in its place,” highly destructive gold mining. the Age, Gain Wealth forgetting marginalized and controlled— Environmental constraints threa- all but Self.” for their own interests of course. ten to deprive the company of Like peasants and workers They were too “stupid and igno- future profits, a crime that can be in England before them, Ameri- rant” to be allowed to run their

Vol.28 No.3 39 Articles own affairs. That task was to be Inculcating the New Spirit is an of the husband: under whose left to the “intelligent minority,” essential prerequisite for achiev- wing, protection, and cover, she who must be protected from “the ing this end, and for preventing performs everything.” Women trampling and the roar of [the] the Charter of Liberties from be- are thus the property of their bewildered herd,” the “ignorant ing misused to enable free citi- fathers or husbands. These prin- and meddlesome outsiders”.... zens to determine their own fate. ciples remain up to very recent The role of the general popula- ... years. Until a Supreme Court tion was to be “spectators,” not The most famous part of the decision of 1975, women did not “participants in action,” in a Charter of Liberties is Article 39, even have a legal right to serve properly functioning democratic which declares that “no free on juries. They were not peers. society. man” shall be punished in any Just two weeks ago, Republican And the spectators must way, “nor will We proceed opposition blocked the Fairness not be allowed to see too much. against or prosecute him, except Paycheck Act guaranteeing President Obama has set new by the lawful judgment of his women equal pay for equal work. standards in safeguarding this peers and by the law of the land.” And it goes far beyond. principle. He has, in fact, pun- Through many years of Slaves, of course, were not ished more whistleblowers than struggle, the principle has come persons. They were in fact three- all previous presidents com- to hold more broadly. The U.S. fifths human under the Constitu- bined....WikiLeaks is only the Constitution provides that no tion, so as to grant their owners most famous case, with British “person [shall] be deprived of greater voting power. Protection cooperation. life, liberty, or property, without of slavery was no slight concern Among the many topics that due process of law [and] a speedy to the founders: it was one factor are not the business of the bewil- and public trial” by peers. The leading to the American revolu- dered herd is foreign affairs.... basic principle is “presumption tion. In the 1772 Somerset case, Domestically, the rabble should of innocence”—what legal his- Lord Mansfield determined that not hear the advice given by the torians describe as “the seed of slavery is so “odious” that it courts to major corporations: that contemporary Anglo-American cannot be tolerated in England, they should devote some highly freedom,” referring to Article 39; though it continued in British visible efforts to good works, so and with the Nuremberg Tribu- possessions for many years. Ame- that an “aroused public” will not nal in mind, a “particularly Ameri- rican slave-owners could see the discover the enormous benefits can brand of legalism: punish- handwriting on the wall if the provided to them by the nanny ment only for those who could be colonies remained under British state.... proved to be guilty through a fair rule...... trial with a panoply of procedural Post-Civil War amendments protections”—even if their guilt extended the concept person to The Three-Fifths People for some of the worst crimes in African-Americans, ending sla- Pursuing these important history is not in doubt. very. In theory, at least. After topics further, we see that the The founders of course did about a decade of relative free- destruction of the Charter of the not intend the term “person” to dom, a condition akin to slavery Forest, and its obliteration from apply to all persons. Native was reintroduced by a North- memory, relates rather closely Americans were not persons. South compact permitting the to the continuing efforts to con- Their rights were virtually nil. effective criminalization of black strain the promise of the Charter Women were scarcely persons. life.... of Liberties. The “New Spirit of Wives were understood to be This new version of the the Age” cannot tolerate the pre- “covered” under the civil identity “peculiar institution” provided capitalist conception of the For- of their husbands in much the much of the basis for the Ameri- est as the shared endowment of same way as children were sub- can industrial revolution, with a the community at large, cared for ject to their parents. Blackstone’s perfect work force for the steel communally for its own use and principles held that “the very industry and mining, along with for future generations, protected being or legal existence of the agricultural production in the from privatization, from transfer woman is suspended during the famous chain gangs: docile, to the hands of private power for marriage, or at least is incorpo- obedient, no strikes, and no need service to wealth, not needs. rated and consolidated into that for employers even to sustain

40 SEEDS OF PEACE Articles their workers, an improvement tions, established and sustained has also been given a new and over slavery. The system lasted by state power, had the full rights useful interpretation. As the in large measure until World War of persons of flesh and blood; in New York Times reported, “Mr. II, when free labor was needed fact, far greater rights, thanks to Obama embraced a disputed for war production. their scale, immortality, and pro- method for counting civilian The postwar boom offered tections of limited liability. Their casualties that did little to box employment. A black man could rights by now far transcend those him in. It in effect counts all get a job in a unionized auto plant, of mere humans.... military-age males in a strike earn a decent salary, buy a house, Domestically, recent Su- zone as combatants, according to and maybe send his children to preme Court rulings greatly several administration officials, college. That lasted for about enhance the already enormous unless there is explicit intelli- 20 years, until the 1970s, when political power of corporations gence posthumously proving the economy was radically and the super-rich, striking fur- them innocent.” So post-assassi- redesigned on newly dominant ther blows against the tottering nation determination of inno- neoliberal principles, with rapid relics of functioning political cence maintains the sacred prin- growth of financialization and democracy. ciple of presumption of inno- the offshoring of production. The Meanwhile Magna Carta is cence. black population, now largely under more direct assault. Recall ... superfluous, has been recrimina- the Habeas Corpus Act of 1679, The most famous recent lized. which barred “imprisonment case of executive assassination Until Ronald Reagan’s pre- beyond the seas,” and certainly was Osama bin Laden, murdered sidency, incarceration in the the far more vicious procedure after he was apprehended by 79 U.S. was within the spectrum of of imprisonment abroad for the Navy seals, defenseless, accom- industrial societies. By now it is purpose of torture-what is now panied only by his wife, his body far beyond others. It targets pri- more politely called “rendition”.... reportedly dumped at sea without marily black males, increasingly The concept of due process autopsy. Whatever one thinks of also black women and Hispa- has been extended under the him, he was a suspect and nothing nics, largely guilty of victimless Obama administration’s interna- more than that. Even the FBI crimes under the fraudulent tional assassination campaign agreed. “drug wars.” Meanwhile, the in a way that renders this core ... wealth of African-American fami- element of the Charter of Liber- Executive Terrorist Lists lies has been virtually obliterated ties (and the Constitution) null ... by the latest financial crisis, in no and void. The Justice Department The record of the terrorist small measure thanks to criminal explained that the constitutional list is of some interest. For behavior of financial institutions, guarantee of due process, tracing example, in 1988 the Reagan with impunity for the perpetra- to Magna Carta, is now satisfied administration declared Nelson tors, now richer than ever. by internal deliberations in the Mandela’s African National ... executive branch alone. The con- Congress to be one of the world’s stitutional lawyer in the White “more notorious terrorist Sacred Persons and Undone House agreed.... groups,” so that Reagan could Process The issue arose after the continue his support for the The post-Civil War four- presidentially ordered assassi- Apartheid regime and its mur- teenth amendment granted the nation-by-drone of Anwar al- derous depredations in South rights of persons to former slaves, Awlaki, accused of inciting jihad Africa and in neighboring coun- though mostly in theory. At the in speech, writing, and unspeci- tries, as part of his “war on ter- same time, it created a new cat- fied actions. A headline in the ror.” Twenty years later Mandela egory of persons with rights: cor- New York Times captured the was finally removed from the porations. In fact, almost all the general elite reaction when he terrorist list, and can now travel cases brought to the courts under was murdered in a drone attack, to the U.S. without a special the fourteenth amendment had to along with the usual collateral waiver. do with corporate rights, and by a damage. It read: “The West cel- Another interesting case is century ago, they had determined ebrates a cleric’s death”.... Saddam Hussein, removed from that these collectivist legal fic- Presumption of innocence the terrorist list in 1982 so that

Vol.28 No.3 41 Articles the Reagan administration could torture of Africa. forecasts a century of energy provide him with support for his ... independence for the U.S. The invasion of Iran. The support More recently, the U.S. has report does mention the destruc- continued well after the war recognized that it, too, must join tive local impact of the new ended. In 1989, President Bush the game of exploiting Africa, methods. Unasked in these opti- I even invited Iraqi nuclear en- along with new entries like Chi- mistic forecasts is the question gineers to the U.S. for advanced na, which is busily at work com- what kind of a world will survive training in weapons production piling one of the worst records in the rapacious onslaught. —more information that must be destruction of the environment In the lead in confronting the kept from the eyes of the “igno- and oppression of the hapless crisis throughout the world are rant and meddlesome outsiders.” victims. indigenous communities, those ... It should be unnecessary to who have always upheld the Who Will Have the Last Laugh? dwell on the extreme dangers Charter of the Forests. The stron- A few final words on the posed by one central element of gest stand has been taken by the fate of the Charter of the Forest. the predatory obsessions that are one country they govern, Bolivia, Its goal was to protect the source producing calamities all over the the poorest country in South of sustenance for the population, world: the reliance on fossil fuels, America and for centuries a the commons, from external which courts global disaster, victim of western destruction of power—in the early days, roy- perhaps in the not-too-distant the rich resources of one of the alty; over the years, enclosures future. Details may be debated, most advanced of the developed and other forms of privatization but there is little serious doubt societies in the hemisphere, by predatory corporations and that the problems are serious, if pre-Columbus. the state authorities who cooper- not awesome, and that the longer After the ignominious col- ate with them, have only acceler- we delay in addressing them, the lapse of the Copenhagen global ated and are properly rewarded. more awful will be the legacy left climate change summit in 2009, The damage is very broad. to generations to come.... Bolivia organized a People’s If we listen to voices from Meanwhile, power concen- Summit with 35,000 participants the South today we can learn that trations are charging in the oppo- from 140 countries—not just “the conversion of public goods site direction, led by the richest representatives of governments, into private property through the and most powerful country in but also civil society and activ- privatization of our otherwise world history. Congressional ists. It produced a People’s commonly held natural environ- Republicans are dismantling the Agreement, which called for ment is one way neoliberal limited environmental protec- very sharp reduction in emiss- institutions remove the fragile tions initiated by Richard Nixon, ions, and a Universal Declaration threads that hold African nations who would be something of a on the Rights of Mother Earth. together. Politics today has been dangerous radical in today’s po- That is a key demand of indig- reduced to a lucrative venture litical scene. The major business enous communities all over the where one looks out mainly for lobbies openly announce their world. It is ridiculed by sophisti- returns on investment rather propaganda campaigns to con- cated westerners, but unless we than on what one can contribute vince the public that there is no can acquire some of their sensi- to rebuild highly degraded envi- need for undue concern—with bility, they are likely to have ronments, communities, and a some effect, as polls show. the last laugh—a laugh of grim nation. This is one of the benefits ... despair. that structural adjustment pro- In his State of the Union grammes inflicted on the conti- speech in January, President Noam Chomsky nent—the enthronement of cor- Obama hailed the bright pro- 23 July 2012 ruption.” I’m quoting Nigerian spects of a century of energy Source: Full text available at poet and activist Nnimmo Bas- self-sufficiency, thanks to new www.tomdispatch.com sey, chair of Friends of the Earth technologies that permit extrac- International, in his searing ex- tion of hydrocarbons from Cana- pose of the ravaging of Africa’s dian tar sands, shale, and other wealth, To Cook a Continent, previously inaccessible sources. the latest phase of the Western Others agree. The Financial Times

42 SEEDS OF PEACE Articles

The Buddha’s Enlightenment for the Well-Being of Humanity

May I say what a privilege it is Buddhist history of India had to be addressing such a vast been lost and forgotten, then, and august company of fellow thanks mostly to colonial admin- Buddhists at this celebration to istrators, educated and cultivated mark the 2,600th anniversary of men who were also amateur the Buddha’s Enlightenment, archaeologists and orientalists, surely the most important and sig- India’s glorious Buddhist past nificant event in the history of was gradually uncovered. Living humankind. And what a worthy as we do now in an age when response this gigantic gathering facts can so easily be looked up is to the Buddha’s advice to meet and information disseminated often and in large numbers as a Ven. Chao Khun Bhavanaviteht quickly, easily and accurately it means to ensure our prosperity (Luangpor Khemadhammo) is hard to imagine a time when and prevent decline. I am so their particular doctrines and little was known of the history pleased to have this opportunity interpretations of doctrine and of the world and the history of to make new friends as well as to discipline. But for all that is dif- humankind. In fact it’s only fairly be once again amongst some old ferent and that separates us there recently that we’ve been able friends, in particular I’m de- is much that binds us and there to explore and investigate our lighted by the presence of repre- is one thing in particular that past and develop a sophisticated sentatives of the World Buddhist unites us, our common origin, the scholarship and reliable body of Scout Brotherhood of which I Buddha’s Enlightenment. All literature backed up with archaeo- am an adviser. It is my pleasure that we have now that is des- logical discoveries that practi- to introduce the theme of our cribed as Buddhist and all that cally every day reveal more about gathering, “The Buddha’s En- is known as Buddhism has come our history and the origins of our lightenment for the Well-Being from that unique and amazing species. Even as more details of Humanity”, which will be experience, an expericnce that emerge about the great changes occupying our hearts and minds transformed a former prince who that have swept our planet and particularly over the three days had become an ascetic wanderer affected humanity over the cen- we are spending together. to such a degree that from that turies, the marvellous civilisa- Traditionally Vesak or Ve- day to this he has been known as tions and empires that have risen sakha Puja celebrates the Birth, the Buddha, the One who Knows, and fallen, the material, medical the Enlightenment and the Pass- the Fully Enlightened One. Had and technological advances that ing of the Buddha and in Thera- that Enlightenment not taken have taken place, the languages, vada countries especially it is place there would have been no philosophies, customs, works of these three great events that we Buddha and no Buddhism and art, drama, music and ideas that remember at this time. The The- this great gathering would not be the human mind has spawned, ravada despite its antiquity is happening; without the Bud- one cannot help but be struck by now of course one of many for, dha’s Enlightenment this great the fact that just as it’s always since its beginning, Buddhism has family would never have taken been, so we continue to lead pre- grown into a large and diverse birth and most especially, had the carious lives dependent on con- family that embraces a host of Enlightenment not taken place ditions over which we can have separate but related movements, and there’d been no Buddha and little or no influence, dependent movements that are differen- no Dhamma, we would be living too on inner attitudes and mental tiated not only by the nature of a life without hope and without a states that we don’t understand the various lands and cultures in way out of our suffering. and which we can’t control. What which they have taken root and I’ve been reading again is it that human beings have done grown but as well by their tradi- lately how until about two to repeatedly from as far back as we tions and rituals, and even by three hundred years ago the early can see? From that day to this,

Vol.28 No.3 43 Articles whatever love, kindness, compas- notion of a Creator God, others would one day end in death. But sion, generosity and loyalty they who cannot see the point in what it wasn’t until the young Prince might have felt and expressed, they might perceive as a selfish Siddhattha, the Bodhisatta, the people have still fought each and inward-looking approach to Buddha to be, realised this of other, they have sought to take life, yet others who have no idea himself and of all those and from each other, to prey on each what we mean by suffering and indeed of everything that sur- other, to fear and abuse each other still others who are not yet ready rounded him, that he decided to and in short they have treated to take responsibility for their renounce the world to try and each other with terrible inhu- own lives. And these days the find a way out of the unsatisfac- manity, not to speak of how young, the humanists and the tory and painful predicament in they’ve treated other living crea- materialists are all questioning the which he found himself. That tures. And still it goes on: in this need for religion of any kind at search came to a head six years very day there are still wars be- all. So I welcome this oppor-tunity later when we find him after ing waged, terrified human be- for us to clarify for ourselves and years of hardship and rough ings languishing in torture cham- for our critics and indeed for the living, emaciated and weather- bers and animals being abused world at large the benefits that the beaten, seated under a great tree and grossly maltreated. And Buddha’s Enlightenment has beside the River Neranjara. Had why? Because of perverted brought us and the rewards of we been living then and passing minds, minds infected by greed living and practising as sinecre by we might not have taken much and hatred, corrupted by igno- Buddhists. We Buddhists are not notice—holy men then as now rance. The history of mankind is proselytisers and I have no wish were not uncommon in India and a history of discontent. And still, to support or encourage religious we would never have imagined despite all the advances and im- coercion but still we do have a that what was about to take place provements to our material well- responsibility to make Bud- there under that tree would be one being people generally are still dhism known and when we look of the most extraordinary and not happy and remain burdened around and see so much violence, meaningful events in the history by gain and loss, happiness and poverty and hardship, so much of humankind. Had we crept suffering, praise and blame, suffering, I’m sure that with one closer we might have overheard sickness and health. Despite all voice we would all want to pro- him intoning to himself his firm the changes and improvements, claim that the world desperately determination not to rise from life is still difficult, for many needs Buddhism. that seat, ‘though skin sinews purposeless and for most disap- Before we go on to examine and bones wither away, though pointing. So much has changed the nature of the Buddha’s En- flesh and blood of my body dry and so little has changed: life is lightenment and its benefit for up’ until he had attained what- suffering. humanity let us just pause to re- ever was attainable by manly One particular characteristic mind ourselves of how it came perseverance, energy and en- of Buddhism that I think never about. Amongst Buddhists in the deavour. And so the stage was fails to impress those of us who West much is made of the fact set for the Enlightenment. It was have been used to the dogmas of that the Buddha was born a man, the night of the Full Moon of other religions, and especially, a human being just like the rest the month of Vesakha. As the speaking personally, those of us of us. Never mind that the cir- Bodhisatta sat, alone and reso- brought up in Europe and the cumstances of his birth might lute, through the three watches West, is the invitation to see for have been rather different from of the night successive realisa- ourselves and to question the our own or that one might or tions unfolded in his mind until principles and indeed practically might not accept the stories of by the time the dawn broke it everything that Buddhism tea- his long preparation over many was all over, his full and perfect ches. There are many advantages lifetimes, he was a man, a human Enlightenment was complete to such an attitude, not least of being, who like us was subject and he was the Buddha. which is the willingness on the to all the aches and pains of ordi- He had begun his sitting as a part of Buddhism to explain it- nary life, who could no more stop man, a human being, with a mind self and answer its many critics, himself ageing than the rest of us, not unlike ours, a mind that knew some of whom just cannot under- who could become ill just as we greed, hatred, delusion and he stand a religion that rejects the can and whose life, just like ours, had risen from that seat no lon-

44 SEEDS OF PEACE Articles ger, as he explained later, a all, teach. And we know now that then, what about other people? human being, but a Buddha, a he taught for a very long time and Well, we all know, don’t mind transformed, a mind utterly that many people benefited by we, how we can be affected by cleansed, a mind far distant from that. We have a great body of people we meet. If you bump into these defilements of lust, hatred teaching and instruction that has someone who is very angry, you and delusion. Now, you might come down to us from those are on your guard; if you meet well say, “That’s great, that’s all days. But, just think, if he hadn’t someone who is very severe and very well, I mean he obviously taught at all, would there have appears to have a lot of aversion, has benefited and he must now been any benefit in his Enligh- you are very careful, you might feel a great relief but what about tenment other than for himself? be quite afraid. If you are faced anyone else?” And the scriptures Clearly there was a benefit with someone who is smiling, tell us he did feel extraordinarily to him because we all know that and warm, you are attracted, you blissful and peaceful and he greed, hatred and delusion are want to be with that person. If you couldn’t bring himself to do any- painful. If we are greedy, if we meet someone with whom you thing but sit close to that tree, that are possessed by greed, if for feel there is no threat, then you base where he had sat and at- example we go shopping and see are at ease, you trust them, you tained his Enlightenment. In the something we like, then inevita- have no concerns at all about weeks that followed he moved bly what follows that liking is them. So, obviously, we are to various places nearby but al- desire, we want it, we must have affected by the way people are ways within sight of that tree. it. People become intoxicated and the way we are affected other And during that time he reflected with that desire, they must have people. Which means we ought on what he had understood, what that thing, that handbag, that pair to be aware and careful how we he had learnt while he had sat of shoes or whatever it is, and if affect others. We know from the there. For a while it began to look they can’t have it or just as they scriptures that people were both as though that was going to be it. are about to buy it someone else affected and deeply impressed He seemed to have no inclination buy it, pain! Then if they get it, by the Buddha. One extraordi- to talk to anyone, to teach any- the next thing that enters their nary example is that of Angu- one, to express his new found minds is attachment, which means limala, the killer who became an understanding at all because he that if they lose it or it breaks, pain Arahant. I love this story very felt that what he had learnt, what again! This is really trivial stuff much. You will have read or he had understood was so diffi- but still, people suffer; and this is heard that in England I head the cult to attain that it was unlikely not to speak of the big things that Buddhist Prison Chaplaincy, an anyone really would have the people desire, the big things that organisation that is devoted to patience and perseverance to people and even whole nations making Buddhism available in follow him. Then Brahma Saham- claim as theirs, and the pain when the prisons of the United King- pati, concerned that the benefits they lose them or their loved dom. When we founded it 27 of the Buddha’s Enlightenment ones to whom they are so deeply years ago we decided to call it to humanity might be lost, de- attached. Now why is there pain? after. Angulimala: Angulimala, cided to intervene and so he Because of desire and attach- the Buddhist Prison Chaplaincy managed to put into the mind of ment. It’s perfectly normal, it’s Organisation. Af first I wasn’t the Buddha that there would be just how people are. This is the sure that it was a good idea to those with but little dust on their dukkha, the suffering that the call it Angulimala. I thought eyes who would understand. Buddha was continually pointing people would find that word, that And then it occurred to the Bud- at. So when you can free yourself name, a bit too difficult but to dha that human beings are like from greed and attachment, my surprise that hasn’t been the lotuses in a pond, at varying stages when you can clear out your case and now Angulimala is well of development, some still in the aversion, it must be wonderful to known in our prisons. Whenever darkness and mud of ignorance look upon things with complete I have the opportunity I tell that but others already rising to the and utter equanimity, to be un- story, because it’s an important surface, and some about to break disturbed by anything, mindful story. I tell it to prisoners—it gives through and blossom. of everything. It has to be won- them hope. I tell it to staff—it Reflecting on this the Bud- derful. So there is this obvious gives them some understanding dha decided that he would, after benefit for the individual. But of the people they are dealing

Vol.28 No.3 45 Articles with and reminds them that even in all his life met someone like to be good, particularly if I was people who have behaved badly, this. He was used to people being angry, or jealous, or overcome who have harmed others and terrified of him. He was used to by any of those horrible emo- offended against society can them hating him. He could cope tions or attitudes. This is a critical change. Now we have no one in with that, he knew how to deal point: you can’t just tell someone our prisons who has killed as with that: pull out the sword, kill to be good, you’ve got to be able many people as Angulimala. But ‘em! But here he was faced with to tell them how. Fortunately, nevertheless we do have in our someone who was unmoved by right from the beginning, in his prisons some very dangerous him, who didn’t hate him, not at very first sermon when he people and people who have done all, not even a little bit; someone explained the Four Noble Truths, terrible thing and are having to who was able to smile at him, the Buddha has told us how. The live with the consequences of who had no fear of him. What means, the way he offers us is awful crimes that they have could he do? He was totally the Noble Eightfold Path, a path committed. The Angulimala disarmed, totally taken aback, of morality, meditation and story focuses on the meeting bet- dazzled by the Buddha’s metta, wisdom. The very same path ween Angulimala, probably the his loving-kindness. The weap- he had discovered and travelled world’s first great serial killer, ons fell from his hands. He was himself, so he knew it well. and the Buddha. You all know helpless in the presence of this Didn’t he once liken himself to a the story. Angulimala was set on extraordinary person. And we traveller who had found the way obtaining a thousand right hand know how the story unfolded: to a wonderful city that had been human little fingers and the day how he ended up going back lost and then having found that when he had nine hundred and with the Buddha to the mona- path, thereafter the way to that ninety nine on a cord round his stery and spending the rest of his city was then open and available neck the Buddha walks into his life there, and in time becoming to any who might want to take it forest. So he quickly arms him- one of the Arahants. So, without and go there. The Buddha’s self and dashes out to murder the giving any formal teaching at all, Dhamma—the way to Nibbana, Buddha and take the last finger. with hardly a word spoken, the the way out of suffering, is there, But then he finds that however presence of the Buddha could open and available. The Buddha fast he runs he can’t catch the bring out the best in people, it has shown the way and if we want Buddha who, quite unconcerned, could change people for the bet- to we too can now go that way, alone and unarmed, is quietly ter. There was an obvious benefit out of our suffering and all the walking through his forest. Fi- to the world and to humanity. His way to Nibbana. This is what the nally, he calls out to him to stop. presence and conduct, the result Buddha taught and of course he And without the slightest sing of his Enlightenment, were an expanded and adapted what he of fear or aversion, the Buddha inspiration that brought peace had to say to suit all classes and all turns to him and says, “I have and happiness wherever he went. sorts of people: monks and nuns, stopped, now it’s your turn.” Now An important lesson we householders, business people, there you have on the one side a learn from this is that when you the rich and the poor, from kings man full of rage and hate, intent live the Dhamma you benefit to road sweepers. His advice was on taking life at all costs, a pow- not only yourself but just about wide-ranging, teaching people erful, athletic figure; and on the everyone you come into contact how to live peacefully and man- other you have the Buddha, un- with. If we aspire to making the age their lives, how to relate to armed, alone, in a remote place world a better place then first of each other harmoniously, how with no one about, facing an all we have to make our world a to respect parents, teachers, em- extremely dangerous man. And better place. We have to begin ployers and religious leaders, what happened? The Buddha right here with our own hearts how to understand their duties totally disarmed Angulimala. and minds. And how do we do and responsibilities to these as And how and why? Because the this? Like a lot of youngsters I well as their own spouse, chil- Buddha stood there with no was brought up to be kind, to love dren, servants and employees. sense of self or ego, with no my neighbour and generally to be The society that he advocated hatred whatsoever, with no aver- a good little boy and I could see was a harmless one: one in which sion and no fear. Angulimala was that it was better to be good than no one hurt another or them- staggered by this. He had never bad but I couldn’t always see how selves and a society that was

46 SEEDS OF PEACE Articles then no threat to any other. The Buddha’s message. Amongst about each of the Three Jewels or foundation of such a harmless some groups of Western Bud- Refuges and the direct benefit of society is of course morality, dhists it’s not uncommon to feel the indirect or concealed benefits expressed basically and princi- the Sangha, or the monastic of the Buddha’s Enlightenment. pally as precepts: the detailed Sangha as it’s sometimes cast, Although in the past travel and complex Vinaya for the marginalised and dismissed as was a very difficult and danger- Sangha and the simpler but an outmoded, hierarchical, and ous enterprise, many adventurers equally profound Five Precepts authoritarian body that doesn’t nevertheless left their homes and for the laity, five great gifts, as matter any more. The effect when villages to risk life and limb in the Buddha praised them, of that respect for traditional guid- pursuit of their dreams, in hope security that individuals give ance and leadership is under- of finding unimaginable treasure, themselves and that they then give mined is for views and opinions or of winning land and territory, to others. From there, established that are not Dhamma to prolifer- or simply to trade or even just to on a firm moral foundation, we ate as if they were Dhamma and satisfy their curiosity. People have have the techniques of concen- when that happens and with a always been moving. We know tration and awareness that can weakened Sangha the prospects about some of the riches and take the mind on a great voyage for the Buddha-Dhamma’s con- material gains they brought back, of discovery that bring the prac- tinuing survival are poor. I am even about some of the plants titioner to a personal and direct reminded of the late great Ajahn and drugs and the people they realisation of the true nature of Chah (Phra Bodhinyanathera) enslaved and brought home with things and with that the ending once saying to us that we must be them. What we don’t know much of craving and the stopping of prepared to bend ourselves to the about are the ideas and philo- suffering. This is no mere faith- Dhamma and not try to bend the sophies they encountered, how based belief system but a practi- Dhamma to suit ourselves. In re- well they might have understood cal way of training and method ality the Sangha is a tremendous them and how much of these of dealing with one’s defilements storehouse of wisdom and expe- rubbed off on them and came and ignorance, something each rience and at its best it offers back with them to influence their of us can work on and do for teaching and guidance and op- own civilisations. But it must ourselves. portunities for training like have happened and it seems very Speaking earlier as I did of nothing else. Yes we know most likely that the Buddha’s Enlight- an ideal society, a special asso- Sangha members are not yet enment may have had a hand in ciation of people, we must now perfect, we know there are bad shaping Western civilisation. We come to the Sangha, a most im- apples, we know that not every- know how Buddhism spread and portant institution that the Bud- one who joins succeeds or even developed throughout Asia but dha established and the third of lasts very long but that doesn’t in ancient times did it ever reach the Three Jewels. A monastic mean that the Sangha is all washed Europe? Well, through the Greek institution, the first of its kind in up any more than the presence of presence in India following Ale- he world, that not only offers the a few delinquent students means xander the Great’s invasion it’s opportunity to live a disciplined that a great university is useless. almost certain that Buddhist life and practise the Buddha’s The Sangha is a great field of ideas found their way back to way out of suffering intensively merit and support for the preser- influence the ancient Greek and full-time but which for 2,600 vation of the well-being of hu- philosophers. And it’s possible years has cared for, taught and manity that radiates from the that Buddhism might have in- preserved the Buddha’s legacy. Buddha’s Enlightenment. And fluenced the rise and spread of This has been no mean feat. We let us remember too that the pres- Christianity. It’s pure specula- should not underestimate for one ence of a Buddhist temple and the tion but it’s just possible that in minute the value and importance example and leadership of the those missing years between the of that contribution. Already in Sangha still make a huge differ- ages of twelve and thirty when the West where, apart from the ence to the quality of life and there’s no record of where he Asian communities, the spread prosperity in many a village and was or what he was doing that of Buddhism has been largely lay community throughout the Bud- Christ might just have been in led, we are beginning to see a dhist world. India sitting at the feet of Bud- fragmentation and dilution of the Now having said something dhist masters. We will probably

Vol.28 No.3 47 Articles never know but there it is, there came his addiction to drugs. ning of my address, when speak- are sayings and stories of Christ “Abstinence-based recovery”— ing of the conditions that are that suggest a Buddhist in- doesn’t that sound remarkably conducive to welfare and that fluence. Certainly it’s been ob- like what the Buddha taught? Not prevent decline the Buddha served that the origins of early doing, stopping and abstaining praised meeting frequently and Christian monasticism were from harmful actions! Isn’t that in large numbers. The number strongly influenced by the Je- just what the Five Precepts are? meeting here today is almost wish Therapeutae who lived an And so all sorts of people in dif- certainly far greater than any he austere life in forest hermitages ferent ways, sometimes without had in mind at the time and while and practised meditaion just like realising it, are discovering the once a year might not be thought the Theravadan Buddhist monks benefits of Buddhist teaching and of as frequent, when we consider who they seem to have modelled practice. how many have come here and themselves on. In our own time It’s well known that in for- from how many countries and when travel is so much more mer times the great Emperor how many hundreds and thou- comfortable, quick and cheap Asoka of India after his conver- sands of miles have been trav- many people are taking their sion to Buddhism set up the elled to be here it is practically holidays far from home and world’s first welfare state and inconceivable that a meeting many are coming to the beaches offered protection to all faiths. like this could be organised any and islands of Thailand where Buddhist monarchies since, like more frequently than once a year. they encounter Buddhism and here in Thailand, have tended to So, thanks to the organisers, the are often impressed by the aura follow that example and promote volunteers and all those who of peace and harmony that ema- tolerance and understanding have made this grand meeting nates from it. And then there are between religions. And it almost possible, one of those conditions the pacifist and patient examples begins to look as though this has of welfare and prosperity has of Buddhist leaders in exile begun to rub off on our British been met. But there are others, and under arrest that the media royal family. The King or Queen and another that we can all reminds us of again and again. of England is known as the contribute to and which I trust we Even on the walls of a high secu- Defender of the Faith, meaning will all observe is to conduct our rity prison that I visit I see pasted Christianity, and he or she is also business in harmony and at the the images and inspirational the Supreme Governor of the end of our stay to go our separate words of His Holiness the Dalai Church of England, First, it was ways in harmony. And further- Lama and Aung San Suu Kyi. Prince Charles who a few years more I hope we will go our sepa- And lately in the West the medi- ago made it known that when rate ways inspired by what we cal profession has discovered he inherits the throne he would have heard and experienced, the benefits of mindfulness. like to be the Defender of Faith, determined and energised to Mindfulness techniques are meaning all faiths and then it practise with even greater com- being used to help patients deal was Her Majesty the Queen who mitment what the Buddha taught: with persistent pain and with this year at the beginning of her for that I am sure is the most mental problems like depression. Diamond Jubilee celebrations certain, if not the only way of In fact mindfulness has become surprised us all by saying in a ensuring that the Buddha’s big business with several univer- speech at Lambeth Palace, the Enlightenment continues to sities and a number of individuals home of the Archbishop of Can- exert its influence for the well- teaching mindfulness and teach- terbury, that the Church “has a being of humanity for genera- ing people to be teachers of mind- duty to protect the free practice tions to come. fulness. Then, a few weeks ago a of all faiths in this country.” Thank you, famous comedian and actor was Whether or not these pronounce- Ven. Chao Khun Bhavanaviteht giving evidence to a Parliamen- ments own anything to Asoka I (Luangpor Khemadhammo) OBF. tary Committee set up to inquire don’t know but it’s just possible Wat Pah Santidhamma— into policies on drugs and drug they are also examples of the Santidhamma Forest Hermitage Lower Fulbrook addiction. In his evidence this unusual and indirect benefits Warwickshire CV35 8AS actor advocated an “abstinence- to humanity of the Buddha’s U.K. based recovery” approach, tell- Enlightenment. May 2012/2555 ing MPs this was how he over- As I mentioned at the begin-

48 SEEDS OF PEACE Letters

July 6, 2012 Sulak, Thank you so much and I do hope you are well! I was at a meeting with Matt Weiner last week, and he said you would be in the US again soon. I will keep your wise proposals in mind. For the 2013 prize the nomination process is closed but I will make sure they are in the process for next year. I send you warm wishes on this the Dalai Lama’s birthday. His inspiration spreads far and wide across our world. And I will pass on your kind note to my sister who is always overjoyed to have your remembrance. Very best, Katherine Marshall Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs World Faiths Development Dialogue [email protected] ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ July 1, 2012 Dear Sulak: It’s safe to say that, if you’re reading this, you would like to see more peace in our world. And it’s probably not a stretch to say that you love to help bring that peace to our world. But how do you do that? How do you become an instrument of peace? Gandhi opened a doorway to the big picture when he encouraged us to “Be the change we wish to see in the world.” But in addition to this encouragement, we also need the practical steps and actions we each can take to create peace within ourselves and in the world. So what are those steps? No one can say what those steps and actions are for you. Only you can know that. But if you want to learn hundreds of insights, ideas, possibilities and practices that can help you create more peace in your life and in the world, I encourage you to join me for the Summer of Peace 2012. I’m a featured speaker in this FREE 3-month series of live and online events that will empower you (and thousands of others in this growing, global movement!) to create peace from the inside out. Get all the details here: http://cts.vresp.com/c/?SarvodayaUSA/f80bc2950f/c0f298d493/14ab959826 The Summer of Peace features inspiring peace leaders including Arun Gandhi, Alice Walker, Jack Kornfield, Ambassador Anwarul Chowdhury, James O’Dea, Belvie Rooks, spiritual leader Matthew Fox, international peace activist Azim Khamisa, Civil Rights activist Bernard Lafayette and many others. You’ll learn from these remarkable peace pioneers, and find out how you, too, can participate in the birth of a new human consciousness rooted in the principles of peace, compassion, and equality for all. The Summer of Peace is a must-have experience, if you want to... Experience inner peace and the physical, emotional and spiritual ease that blossoms from that harmony. Create harmonious relationships with your family, friends, coworkers and community members. Discover new ways of communicating that create deeper trust, love and intimacy in all your relationships. Learn how to forgive people who have harmed you in the past. Learn how to forgive yourself for harm you have inflicted on others. Heal painful wounds within yourself, family, community and nation. Make a commitment to peace and to become a beacon of peace in the world. ...And so much more! Featuring more than 80 of the world’s leading peacemakers, the Summer of Peace is your opportunity to become a beacon of peace and discover the actions that YOU will take to be the change you wish to see in the world. You can listen to the Summer of Peace calls from the comfort of your home or office, and the live calls are completely free. So what are you waiting for? Make a commitment to a world of peace and sign up for the Summer of Peace NOW: http://cts.vresp.com/c/?SarvodayaUSA/f80bc2950f/c0f298d493/64c5d18d3d Yours truly, A.T. Ariyaratne P.S. During the Summer of Peace, you’ll also find out about community actions and local projects you can get involved in. Together, we’re birthing a new human consciousness—rooted in peace, justice and equality for all living beings! Join me here: http://cts.vresp.com/c/?SarvodayaUSA/f80bc2950f/c0f298d493/4984059824

Vol.28 No.3 49 Letters

June 1, 2012 Dear Sulak, I hope this letter finds you feeling better than the last time we saw each other—in Chiang Mai about two years ago after you had just had an eye operation, if I remember correctly. The occasion of this message is to invite you to an event here at Union Theological Seminary which I suspect will interest you greatly, and to which you will be able to contribute importantly. On April 18-20, 2013 we will assemble here at Union an international Buddhist-Christian conference, entitled “Enlightenment and Liberation: Engaged Buddhists and Liberation Theologians in Dialogue.” The conference will gather leading Engaged Buddhists and Christian Liberation Theologians from around the world (young and old!) for a mutual exploration of how Buddhists and Christians can learn from each other, challenge each other, and work together for the greater well-being of sentient beings and of our planet. Our dialogue/diapraxis will focus on the following topics: 1) Racism, 2) Sexism, 3) Classism/Economic injustice, 4) War and violence/Empire, and 5) Eco-suffering. Our time together will also include meditations, talks for the wider public, and artistic presentations. All expenses (accommodations and meals for all participants and airfare/airport transportation for those coming from abroad), as well as an honorarium, will be provided by the conference hosts. While I send this letter also in the name of my colleagues and co-organizers of this conference, Profs. Chung Hyun Kyung and John Thatamanil, it comes with a very personal note: In May of 2013 I will be retiring from teaching here at Union Theological Seminary. This conference is also, I feel, a fitting way for me and friends/ colleagues of many years to say goodbye. I would be honored and delighted to have you here for this occasion. I do hope that you can be with us here in New York next April. Palms joined, wishing you well, Paul F. Knitter Paul Tillich Professor of Theology, World Religions and Culture Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York 3041 Broadway at 121st Street, New York, NY 10027 Tel.: 212-280-1363 E-mail: [email protected]

¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ May 21, 2012 Dear Sulak, Only last night, I realized that another year of your lifetime has been replaced by the beginning of a new decade! But even a bit late, we hope that you could finish your 79th start your 80th in reasonable good health and spirit. For the days to come we convey our best wishes and that you may always be filled with passionate love and strength of body and mind! Hope, you had a happy day with the family and friends. Are you planning to travel to Europe? We still have a place for rest and meditation in our house! Remember! Cordial Greetings from the Blackforests, yours, Inge and Wolfgang Schmidt [email protected] ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ July 31, 2012 Dear Sulak, How kind of you to write to me with your most encouraging words and blessings. We do our best to publish Resurgence every two months and it is good to know that our efforts are appreciated by friends like you. The merger of the Ecologist with Resurgence is a new challenge but we are very keen to make it a successful union. Your blessings are very important to us. Unfortunately John Lane is unwell, he has suffered a severe stroke and is bed bound, he is being well looked after by Truda and his family. June and I recently had lunch with Claire and Roger and they are both very well. Schumacher College is going well and June is a regular visitor to Plum Village to practise meditation. Thank you again for your words of encouragement. With all good wishes Satish Kumar

50 SEEDS OF PEACE Letters

May 15, 2012

25 Years Schweisfurth Foundation

Dear Sulak,

The Schweisfurth Foundation was officially established in 1986. 25 years later in 2012, we look back upon our years of committed service for organic agriculture and food production and sustainable ways of working with the land and cultivating our rural landscapes. We proudly look back upon our work with so many exceptional visionaries, social and ecological innovators and activists with whom we have been able to test and launch new approaches. The enclosed anniversary volume gives an overview of our most important partners and projects. We hope you will enjoy checking out and reliving the many different scientific, economic, political and cultural impulses and incentives which the foundation—as part of the German ecological movement—has been able to provide. Our main focus in the immediate future will be directed toward social innovations in rural communities, business ethics and sustainable activities in rural areas; while we, our partners and alliances will continue to adhere to organic, fair, slow, regional and artisanal goals and values. Our achievements of the past will encourage our efforts of helping shape a liveable and lovable and lovable future.

Best wishes Franz-Theo Gottwald

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May 11, 2012

Dear Sulak

I am sending you my latest novel, The Feet of Juan Bacnang, under separate cover if only to illustrate to you that this 87 year old hack is still writing. I haven’t been to Bangkok in ages as you very well know because if I will go there, you will absolutely be sure that I will be in touch with you to bum not just a roof over my head but that most memorable lunch at that sidewalk stall before the King’s temple. I doubt if you remember it but I always do because it really was the best meal I ever had in Thailand. I was in Singaproe last year for their writers’ festival and as usual, I saw Willy and Lena. Muhummad was also there last year and they stayed—he was with IOmee, his wife—in the house for one night. Below is his address. I have lost touch with the children of Ivan but I did connect with Larry Stifel’s son David; he is in Africa for some international organization. Tesie is fine—she is 82, and she continues to manage the book shop and the household. My oldest son has retired from Kodak in the US and he is now home as our extradriver, caregiver, repairman etc. He is divorced and his two daughters are in the US. All the six children are there doing very well so I don’t have to worry about them. I have now 11 grandchildren and one great granddaughter. One of my grandchildren joined the Marines, was stationed in Iraq and will get married in September and hopefully, we will try to attend his wedding there. Pardon the lousy typing. I am still using a typewriter, writing in longhand, too, and I never got to used the laptop. My secretary sends my email and prints my email for me. Yes, I get your Seeds of Peace and envy you for your continued publishing and for that handsome award you got in Japan. I worried, too, about the lese majeste charge against you but I always knew you as a survivor so I stopped worrying because I know it will take more than lese majeste to get you down on you knees, my dear Sulak. Any chance of your coming to Manila very soon? You are always welcome at the house, of course, and it is still there. I have not yet gotten enough moolah to move to a flashier district. The bookshop is now being surrounded by skyscrapers and I tell friends it will be the last wooden structure in Manila.

Vol.28 No.3 51 Letters

Do you know Seth Mydans who was NYT Times correspondent for Southeast Asia based in Bangkok. He is an old friend. I hope you will get to meet him. Write in case you need anything from here and I hope Nin is healthy, too. Give my best wishes to Nilawan.

Frankie José

Prof. Muhammad Hajji Salled 254 Jalan Enam, Taman Sekamat 43000 Kajang, Malaysia Tel: (603) 873-67057

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June 25, 2012

Dear Sulak,

I send greetings from your old friend in Australia. Thank you for continuing to send me Seeds of Peace. Thank you for your ongoing work for love and kindness in the world. I still remember the Peoples Tribunal on Tibet on which we shared the experience together. I am proud of our work there. I am also proud that your journal has included the excellent article by Kulavar Prapapornpipat on sexual minorities in Thai Buddhism. Please thank the Author and Editor for including this essay. Once, when I had a privilege of an audience with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, I mentioned the pain and hurt caused by his negative statements about gays. He said that it was painful to him too as many of his best and strongest supporters in the United States were from sexual minorities. But he felt constrained by the scriptures. The same is true in Abrahamic religions. However, it is necessary to read old scriptures with new eyes, enlightened by modern scientific knowledge. This is what the essay in your journal has done. I offer my admiration and thanks. With every good wish and with a message of friendship.

Sincerely, The Hon. Michael Kirby AC CMG

Level 7, 195 Macquarie Street Sydney NSW 2000 Australia Website: www.michaelkirby.com.au Telephone: +61 2 9231 5800 Facsimile: +61 2 9231 5811 E-mail: [email protected]

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May 23, 2012

Dear Sulak: I wanted to let you know that I will be stepping down as Special Envoy of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The formal announcement may be made sometime in June, so kindly keep this confidential until the announcement is made by the Central Tibetan Administration. It has been a great honor and privilege for me to hold this position and I am very grateful to His Holiness for entrusting me with such a responsibility. I have made my best efforts while serving in this capacity and believe that I have made some worthwhile contributions to advance the cause of Tibet. However, I leave that judgment to others. As the lead interlocutor in our contacts with China, I not only headed the delegations during the formal talks but also spent a great deal of time and effort in building international support for our work, including in making

52 SEEDS OF PEACE Letters governments and policy makers understand our position. I was fortunate to have the wise leadership of His Holiness and the unwavering support of Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche, who was the Kalon Tripa for most of the time when the formal talks with the Chinese leadership occurred. Furthermore, I had the advantage of having Envoy Kelsang Gyaltsen as my colleague in this difficult and challenging task. I have immense pride in the staff that assists the Envoys in our talks as well as those who help maintain the Task Force Secretariat in Dharamsala. These are people with professional skills that match the Foreign Service officers of any government. Their dedication and loyalty are unparalleled. The devolution of power by His Holiness the Dalai Lama to the Tibetan people is a milestone in the history of Tibet. My relinquishing of the position of the Special Envoy is part of the devolution process. However, taken into consideration the delicate nature of our relationship with the People’s Republic of China, I stayed on for some time with the hope to help smoothen the transition and to assist in keeping the dialogue process alive. In close consultation with Kalon Tripa Dr. Lobsang Sangay, and at his direction, I made several efforts to resume the dialogue process, but without any positive result. Looking at various aspects of the situation, I do not see any possibility of an early resumption of the talks, and therefore see no purpose in my continuing in my present position. My stepping down as the Special Envoy does not mean that I will cease working for Tibet and the Tibetan people. It is my obligation and duty as a Tibetan to continue to serve my people in whatever way I can. I have offered to stay on as an active member of the Task Force it the Tibetan leadership finds some usefulness in having me in that position. On a day to day basis, I will continue to serve as the Executive Chairman of the Board of the International Campaign for Tibet, an organization with which I am very proud to be associated. I thank you for your support, advice, and friendship over the years.

With regards, Lodi Gyari

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July 29, 2012

Dear Honorable Mr Sulak Sivaraksa, . We, the undersigned Thê.n tri thúc (Good Dharma Friendship) Cultural Company Ltd, would like to express our deep gratitude toward you. We also send you some copies of the Vietnamese version from your book with the title, WISDOM OF ST « . ` . SUSTAINBILITY--BUDDHIST, ECONOMICS FOR THE 21 CENTURY as “Minh triêt cua su. bên vu˜ ng - Kinh tê« Phâ.t giáo cho thê« ky 21” with your kind permission, in the purpose of spreading your deep message to the Vietnamese readership. With the perennial tradition of Buddhism and its spirit of compassion, wisdom, and fearlessness absorbed in our daily life, our thought, and all our activities the Vietnamese people are practicing the teaching of the Buddha. Therefore, your book is a precious and urgent gift, especially to the youth of our country, offering them a penetrating and reflective view in confronting the degraded realities in ethics, spirituality in the struggle with the trend of consumerism that is tearing out every individual, every family of our nation. We expect that those who have the good fortune to meet with your book with its clear-cut, concise, and warmhearted argument and logic would receive a great inspiration to return to and improve their selves, and together help to build up a peaceful, happy, and upward world. We dare hope to have the good chance to introduce the other important books from you and your friends to the people of Vietnam for the benefits of our country. ~ Through the kind intermediary of lacquer painter Nguyên Xuân Viê.t, on behalf of the Vietnamese readers, we would like to send you and your family our wishes of good health and well-being.

Sincerely yours,

Thientrithuc Cultural Company. Ltd. Vice-Director TRËN VAù N DUY

Vol.28 No.3 53 Book Reviews

The Lady and the Peacock

Burma has been in the lime- age when sticking to her goals light for the past few months. A despite being subjected to physi- number of reforms have been cal and mental hardships—the carried out by the quasi-civilian house arrest for most of her years government led by reformist in Burma; the denial of a visa to President Thein Sein, including her dying husband; the brutal the release of political prisoners attack on her life in Depayin in and Aung San Suu Kyi’s National 2003 when many of her support- League for Democracy being ers were killed trying to protect entering Parliament. her. The response from the inter- Through interviews and national community has also comments made by Suu Kyi’s been rather optimistic with the close friends in Oxford, rare easing of economic sanctions by snippets about her are included. the United States and European Like many others in life, she Union. Many foreign companies Suu Kyi’s personal assistant and studied a course in which she was including General Electric and companion during her arduous not interested at the insistence of Coca Cola have made moves to election campaign tour of 1989 her strict mother and ended up invest in Burma. and with whom she later fell out. with an underwhelming third And, of course, when people Those journal entries were re- class degree albeit at prestigious talk about Burma, it is impossible corded at the request of Michael Oxford University. Popham is to leave out Suu Kyi, who spent Aris, Suu Kyi’s husband, and were such an accomplished storyteller much of the last two decades made available to the author that most people will be caught under house arrest. through an anonymous friend. up in his description and narra- In Burma, people throng to By dividing the book into tion about events in Suu Kyi’s listen to her speeches and to catch five parts—Suu Kyi’s father Gen life. a glimpse of her visits. The Nobel Aung San; her years growing up A list of references on ar- Laureate’s picture is now regular in India; her life in England; ticles and books, written about features in Burma’s media—as if her involvement in Burmese Burma and Suu Kyi, at the end of it guarantees increased sales— politics from 1988 to 2002; and the biography indicates the level and also widely posted in social after 2002—Popham attempts to of extensive research Popham networks such as Facebook. analyze Suu Kyi’s and how her carried out. Yet, whenever he Wherever Suu Kyi travels, family background and the his- tries to provide an analysis of she is embraced with warmth, torical events in Burma have events in Burma, as a Burmese love and admiration—not only shaped who she is today. person myself, I do not feel that by Burmese people but also the He does a fine job of depict- he possesses enough in-depth international community. More ing the different stages of Suu understanding about the myriad than ever, she has become a Kyi’s life: from her formative underlying issues in the country global icon after being able to years, to a student, then a house- —the history of ethnic conflicts, travel outside Burma for the wife and finally an inspirational national reconciliation and the first time to attend forums and political leader for the Burmese reform process, to name but a officially accept her Nobel Peace people. few. Prize in Norway. Many of Suu Kyi’s attributes In contrast, Bertil Lintner, a A number of books have are also excellently portrayed in veteran journalist who has writ- been written about the 67-year- the book: her sense of duty for ten seven books on Burma and old and her role in Burma’s poli- being “her father’s daughter;” has reported on Burmese issues tical struggle. The Lady and the her strong morality regarding for over two decades, is able to Peacock by Peter Popham—the Burmese traditions and culture give a concise and yet thought- latest biography on Suu Kyi— despite growing up in foreign provoking analysis in his offer- takes on a more personal outlook countries; and her sense of disci- ing Aung San Suu Kyi and Bur- of her life. pline with her children. ma’s struggle for democracy. Popham includes journal Popham also describes her Two critical points cast a entries of Ma Theingi who was resolute determination and cour- black cloud over the credibility

54 SEEDS OF PEACE Book Reviews of Popham’s book. interviewed for the book, during journal. Although the quotes First is a statement, included her second year at Oxford. Was provide readers with a rare without any source, that now- this just an attempt to sensation- glimpse of the intimate details retired Snr-Gen Than Shwe alize Suu Kyi’s love-life during into Suu Kyi’s life, it would have “admitted [to] ordering the her younger days? been better not to include quote- massacre, with the aim of He also seems as star-struck after-quote, containing a repeti- ‘eradicating’ Aung San Suu Kyi.” when he likens Suu Kyi, giving tive and sometimes trivial details Never has such admission been her first political speech to an like what Suu Kyi wore and what recorded and it is unimaginable audience while in her mid-40s, she ate, continuously page-after- for Than Shwe to so brazenly to a 17-year-old girl. Without a page. make such a claim. doubt, all of us will agree how Popham states that his story Second is Popham’s accusa- youthful Suu Kyi appears even on Suu Kyi is not “just the story tion that Ma Theingi was respon- now. However, just from seeing of a courageous woman who sible for his repatriation from Suu Kyi’s picture from that time, challenged a military junta and Burma during a visit. It seems it is clear that comparing her to lost”—an assertion that Suu that his close association with teenager is a gross exaggeration. Kyi herself never made—but of Michael Aris, who regarded At times, the book tends someone who has a more “com- Ma Theingi as being disloyal, towards being unnecessarily plex and interesting” side. clouded his view of her. longwinded with exhaustive No doubt that Ma Theingi’s Without any credible proof, details about political events in journal entries and the chapter he agrees with accusations of Burma. Popham could have just on Suu Kyi’s childhood years Ma Theingi having “gone over” included the concise versions of are interesting, enhanced by the to the junta’s side after she those events which are signifi- good storytelling skills of Po- became vocally critical about cant for Burma’s history and Suu pham, and contain details other Suu Kyi and her party’s policies. Kyi, but then he would not have prior biographers have left out. I also wonder about Po- been able to fill up all those 398 Other than that, Popham might pham’s intention to include an pages. have been too presumptuous assumption by Suu Kyi’s friends For those who have read about his aims for his book and about how she fell in love with a other books written about Burma his understanding on his sub- Pakistani student, who later or Aung San Suu Kyi, the only jects—Suu Kyi and Burma. worked in the Pakistani Foreign new or interesting material is Hnin Wathan Service and who declined to be the entries from Ma Theingi’s Source: www.irrawaddy.org ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ Happiness Beyond Measure

‘Be kind whenever possible, what you think, what you say and It is always possible’— these what you do are in harmony’. simple words from the Dalai Contemplating this and other Lama illustrated by sunlit clouds pages the combinations of image leave me feeling peaceful. This and word produces a resonance beautiful book matches profound of inner harmony. Bhanuwat quotes from Buddhist and other Jittivuthikarn, compiled the book Eastern spiritual masters to con- after six years travelling through templative photographs with a South and South East Asia meet- simple message to inspire happi- misty horizons. Other pictures ing and photographing Buddhist ness and compassion in the rea- show the faces of old and young pil-grims. It is clear to me he is a der. Opening the book randomly practitioners with wisdom and committed practitioner and the will feast the eye through images compassion in every pore. Tem- book is his way of sharing his that both calm the mind and ples, stupas and Buddha images practice. The tome represents excite the senses. Often using a feature some photographed from Buddhist life in many facets from wide-angled lens some pictures unusual angles often with pil- Thai monks on a boat collecting spread the full width of two grims deep in practice in the morning alms to young novices pages offering mountain vistas, foreground. Gandhi quotes to a at Mandalay and old Tibetan countryside and nature views, background vista of misty purple pilgrims. The author clearly shimmering reflections and mountains ‘Happiness is when moved by his experience states

Vol.28 No.3 55 Book Reviews that smiling faces of his subjects feel a profound sense of inner ‘Smile, Breathe and Go Slowly’. share their joy and ‘become an stillness. My one criticism might I imagine any reader will em- old friend who teach me compas- be a lack of words from female body this message after dipping sion is the secret of survival in masters although women are into this gem of a book that our harsh world today’. As I well represented in the images! clearly shows how image and slowly turn the pages reading the The essence of this book is word put together by a practitio- wise words of spiritual teachers perhaps epitomised on a page ner can be a teaching itself in from Dhammapada to the Dalai featuring young novices radiat- finding inner peace. Lama, Ajarn Chah to Lao Tse I ing happiness to the words of get drawn into the photos and Thich Nahat Hanh saying— Jane Rasbash ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ POWERS THAT BE: PRIDI BANOMYONG Through the Rise and Fall of Thai Democracy

The title of this remarkable hind Rama VIII’s violent death, book is a bit misleading. Fortu- was forced into lifelong exile first nately, however, its author, Sulak in China and finally in France. Sivaraksa—Siam’s best-known At the same time, the Cold War maverick intellectual—writes in Asia began, which allowed frankly: ...I do not attempt to Pridi’s enemies to cast him as a write a biography of Pridi. Ra- communist sympathizer, while ther, this work is about my chang- attaching themselves to the ing perceptions of him. In part, hegemonic United States. When this essay is intended as a mea Sulak was 18, he was sent to the culpa. In part it charts my ardu- United Kingdom to study law, ous and tumultuous intellectual returning only when he was 26. journey from an advocate of con- The UK had then most presti- servative elitism to that of mean- gious constitutional monarchy ingful participatory democracy. in the world headed by the young Directly or otherwise, Pridi played Queen Elizabeth II. It is not a central role in this journey. surprising that Sulak’s thinking Generally speaking, the mea year old Pridi). He was much too became solidly monarchist. culpa is avoided by prominent young to understand Pridi’s im- Meantime, at home, the military academics and public intellectu- pressive achievements as minis- dominated the government als; confessing their past stupi- ter of the interior, minister of dressed up in a series of ephem- dities, prejudices, gullibilities, finance, and perhaps most strik- eral constitutions. Sulak’s return and shallowness is acutely em- ingly as foreign minister, when coincided exactly with the onset barrassing and shameful. But he negotiated the end of extrater- of Marshal Sarit Thanarat’s abso- Sulak has the rare courage to be ritoriality by the imperial powers lutist dictatorship, which tried honest with us all. —something which the monar- to legitimize itself by ‘reviving’ One has to bear in mind that chy had never managed. Sulak the monarchy in the form of the Sulak was born in 1932, the year was only 14 when the boy-king young Rama IX. Readers of this in which the absolutist monarchy Rama VIII was shot to death book will thus understand why was bloodlessly overthrown, in under mysterious circumstances, the blossoming young intellec- the name of democracy, constitu- and only 15 when Pridi, slan- tual swallowed the incessant tionalism, and popular national- dered by reactionary conserva- rightwing newspaper campaign ism, through a coup d’état engi- tives, elderly relatives of the to blacken Pridi as a traitor, a neered by military officers and monarch, and ambitious, cynical communist, and a regicide. civilians (whose leader was 32- generals as the master-mind be- The second crucial part of

56 SEEDS OF PEACE Book Reviews the book discusses the social cir- there were only 3 universities in ics. In 1946, Pridi had tried to a cumstances that for a long time the country, so that most Chinese create a Southeast Asian League kept him hostile to democracy. had no tertiary education, and binding Siam to its neighbouring Sulak regularly castigates the many still spoke Thai with heavy new anticolonial republican political apathy, conservatism, accents. (To a substantial degree, governments. Sulak in turn built and social-climbing of his own therefore, the high bureaucracy, close friendships with Mochtar class—the bourgeoisie of Bang- and the officer corps were off Lubis in Jakarta and Frankie kok. But there is one obvious limits). In this climate of insecu- José in the Philippines, who also lacuna in his explanation: the rity, it is no wonder that most created wide-open critical intel- fact that in the early post-World Chinese ‘laid low,’ (‘apathy’), lectual journals quite similar to War II era this bourgeoisie was were worried by jingoistic Thai Sangkhomsat Parithat. overwhelmingly Chinese. Sulak nationalism, and felt the need Sulak also records, very describes his own family as the for protectors. One way to be briefly, his horror at the military’s product of the huge wave of Chi- protected was to attach them- brutal attempt to repress the nese immigrants from the middle selves to the Bangkok ‘aristo- vast crowds of ordinary people of the 19th century, who, over the cracy’ by helping out with loans demanding the restoration of a generations confined themselves or donations, intermarriage, and decent constitution and partici- to private family businesses and aping this aristocracy’s manners, patory democracy. The savage service in the offices of great arrogance, hostility to and con- killing of unarmed civilians foreign enterprises. But he does tempt for the Thai peasantry, as finally led to the fall of the dic- not really look at the Chinese as well as dozens of non-Thai mi- tatorship in October 1973. For a whole. The community was by norities. The monarchy was also almost three years thereafter, no means united: over against the attractive, since the new bour- democracy prevailed, with fairly rich and successful bourgeoisie geoisie found it easier to be a honest elections which for the was Bangkok’s pretty miserable ‘subjects’ like everyone else, first time made room for leftwing working class; ethnic conflicts rather than second class ‘Thai and liberal parties. But on Octo- were frequent between Teochiu, citizens’. ber 6, 1976, the sickening sav- Hokkien, Hakka, Cantonese, and In this book, Sulak shows agery recurred — this time aimed Hainanese; assimilated Chinese how he gradually became a at Pridi’s Thammasat University were in competition with non- champion of Pridi after careful and its radicalized students. He assimilated; sympathies were reading of his works—wise, de- was also aware that while the split for Chiang Kai-shek’s de- mocratic, anti-feudal and dedi- monarch had intervened on the caying Kuomintang apparatus cated to the education of com- side of the democrats in 1973, in and for the victorious (in 1949) moners. But it is likely that he felt 1976 he was allied with the mili- Chinese Communist Party. For other affinities with the elderly tary. Although Sulak does not most of its life the Thai Commu- statesman. The two men were of say so directly, it is pretty clear nist Party was led by working- partial Chinese descent and also from this book that these ghastly class Chinese—with close ties to commoners. Pridi created the events, made him a confirmed Peking. first genuinely democratic con- supporter of Pridi’s participatory At the height of the Cold stitution for the country and democracy as the solution to the War, Siam’s military and milita- served also as the country’s first country’s deep problems, and a rized police often used the Red commoner Prime Minister. He strong critic of those sectors of Scare to arrest Chinese, bleed was the founder of Thammasat Thai society which still clung to Chinese businessmen, and invade University in the late 1930s the military, the conservative their boardingrooms. This men- which opened its doors to every aristocracy, the authoritarian as- ace was by no means new. Rama youngster. In 1963, the year Sarit pects of the monarchy. VI had published two tracts de- died of alcoholism, Sulak boldly His book is thus an extraor- scribing the Chinese as the Jews created the Sangkhomsat Pari- dinarily honest political-intellec- of the East. In the late 1930s, the that (Social Science Review), tual autobiography as well as a government of Field Marshal really the first high-quality intel- touching in memoriam for Pridi, Plaek Phibunsongkhram enacted lectual journal in Thai history, covering eight decades of every laws which were clearly discri- also open to most opinions and kind of turbulence in Siam. minatory. Until the mid-1960s commoner writers and academ- Benedict O. Anderson

Vol.28 No.3 57 Recommended Readings

Spiritual Ecology: A Quiet Revolution Edited by Leslie E. Sponsel Published by Praeger An Imprint Of ABC-CLIO, LLC

Mapping National Anxieties : Thailand’s Southern Conflict Edited by Duncan McCargo Editorial work by Pauline Khny Published by Nias Press, 2012

The First Fifty-five Years of the International House of Japan: Genesis, Evolution, Challenges, and Renewal Edited by Kato Mikio Published by I-House Press, 2012

Early Interactions between South and Southeast Asia: Reflections on Cross-cultural Exchange Edited: Pierre-Yves Manguin, A. Mani and Geoff Wade Published by The Nalanda-Sriwijaya Centre Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, 2011 , Minh Triê«t Cua Su , Bê`n Vu˜,ng; . , Kinh tê« Phâ.t giáo cho thê« ky XXI Edited by Sulak Sivaraksa ~ Vietnamese Translation by Nguyên Tê«in vaùn Published by Nxb. Tri Thú.,c 2012

, BUDDHADASA “Quyên Sách cho Nhân, Loa.i” Edited by Hoang Phong chuyên ngu˜, , , Published by Nhà Xuât Ban Phu,o,ng ÐDông 2012

The Feet of Juan Bacnang Edited by F. Sionil Jose Published by Solidaridad Publishing House, 2011

Understanding Confluences and Contestations, Continuities and Changes: Towards Transforming Society and Empowering People Penang Workshop Proceedings by 2009/2010 API Fellows The Nippon Foundation Published by API Regional Coordinating Institution, 2012

Secangkir teh bersama Guru Edited by Maria Hartiningsih Published by Ehipassiko Foundation Pha One Keo Sitthivong, “Great monks of Luang Prabang from 1840 to 2007”. Lao and English versions, photographs by the Buddhist Archive of Photography Publications of The Buddhist Archive of Photography Published by Anantha Publishing LLC, Luang Prabang and New York

Les guides de l’état du monde ‘Thaïlande, histoire, société, culture’ Edited by Arnaud Dubus Published by La Découverte

A Common Word: Buddhists and Christians Engage Structural Greed Edited by Martin L. Sinaga Published by Lutheran University Press and Lutheran World Federation, 2012

58 SEEDS OF PEACE Recommended Readings

Bhikkhuni Education in Contemporary Society: Proceedings of the 2009 International Conference on Buddhist Sangha Education Edited by Xiang guang ni zhong fo xue yuan. Published by Taibei Shi : Cai tuan fa ren qie ye shan ji jin hui, Minguo 99 [2010]

Journal of the Siam Society (JSS) Volume99(2011 Edited by Kim W. Atkinson Published by The Siam Society 2011

Incomplete Urbanism : A Critical Urban Strategy for Emerging Economies Edited by William S W Lim Published by World Scientific Publishing Company (November 30, 2011)

Resilience: Celebrating the Lives of Cambodian Peace Builders Edited by Seng Sakara Published by Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies

Spirit in Education Movement Annual Report 2011

Light of Buddhadharma Foundation International Annual Report 2010-11

Living Vision: Schweisfurth Foundation-Celebrating 25 Years of Service for Organic Agriculture and Food Culture

Vision Leben: 25 Jahre Stiftung Schweisfurth Fünfundzwanzig Jahre Schweisfurth-Stiftung

The Royal Photographic Society of Thailand (RPST) No.12 July 2012

Journal of International Buddhist Studies (JIBS) Edited by Dr.Phramaha Suthit Aphakaro Buddhist Research Institute, Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University

Step by Step by Maha Ghosananda Burmese Translation by U Thant Lwin Maung (Ko Tar)

Thai Buddhism in the Buddhist World: A Survey of the Buddhist Situation against a Historical Background Edited by Phra Brahmagunabhorm (P.A.Payutto)

Vol.28 No.3 59 2012 INEB Executive Meeting and International Forum: The Wisdom of Inter-being & The Art of Happiness A Buddhist Approach to Rebuilding Our Society and Ensuring Our Future

November 6-10, 2012 KodoKyodan Buddhist Fellowship Yokohama, Japan