Do You Know?

In recent times, Buddhist leaders have noted with concern that the number of Buddhists in Asia has been decreasing at an alarming rate, especially among the younger generation. There are many reasons for this, both external and internal.

When questioned many youths say that the methods used by buddhist leaders to maintain an interest in the Buddha Dhamma is out of date and irrelevant to modem needs. Young people today are reluctant to go to their temples to listen to the dhamma preached according to ancient styles of delivery and they also find many of the rituals practised in the name of buddhism a waste of money and even embarrassing to perform because they do not know the significance of the ceremonies and because they are quite alien to their modem education. Faced with unchanging religious practices, young people prefer to live without a religion, especially since many of their illformed parents and other elders are unable to convince them of the relevance of Buddhism to their needs. Moreover materialism, and modem forms of entertainment make them discard religion as superstitious and or very dull subject.

To overcome this problem, buddhist leaders (clergy and laymen) must use the modern methods available to them to introduce the dhamma. The talks should be more interesting and relevant to modem day needs. After all, the dhamma is 'akalika' (timeless); only the manner in which we explain it must be adapted to keep pace with changes in society. The Buddha himself adapted many ancient practices to suit the people of his time and he even expressly stated that certain minor rules could be altered to suit changing times. Therefore we must make use of modern technology, especially the electronic media to spread the dhamma effectively and more efficiently. In this way we can reach greater numbers of people and counteract the enormous amount of false propaganda that is being spread by other religions, particularly the new brands of Christianity that are sprouting in the West. Monks particularly must learn to use these new media and devote their time and energy to carry out the noble task of spreading the Great Message entrusted to them by the Master in a manner suited to the New Age.

One of the most important events recently held to address this problem was the First International Buddhist Propagation Conference held in Kyoto Japan from 8 to 13 April 1998, Prominent buddhist leaders from 17 Asian countries attended the conference. Participants, who included H. H. the Dalai Lama, repeatedly expressed the sentiment that Buddhist fervently believe in inter-religious harmony and have no desire to convert others simply to increase their numbers by using underhand means and spreading lies about other religions. They were particularly concerned by the manner in which poverty and ignorance were exploited to convert innocent buddhists and to disrupt their ancient cultures and practices. Many countries which were buddhist are in danger of losing their buddhist predominance due to these despicable methods employed by these so called `evangelists'.

One of the resolutions passed at the Conference was to find ways mid means to overcome these problems especially in countries devastated by war and natural disasters. Currently the countries with a large Buddhist populations are Myanmar (94%), Sri Lanka (75%), Taiwan (70%) and Japan (60%). One of the biggest shortcomings among buddhist leaders is their tendency to spend enormous amounts of money on prestige raising projects like erecting huge temples and large Buddha images in areas where they are not really needed. Of course there is nothing intrinsically wrong with these projects, but just consider how much more good could be done if this money could be used to build hospitals, schools, dhamma teaching centers, orphanages, old folks homes and so on, especially in Buddhist countries. In this way we can look after our own followers. Temples and images are merely symbols of the religion. We must provide for the material comforts of our fellow citizens on earth, and also bring to them the sublime balm of the Dhamma so that they can enjoy mental peace as well.

The world is beset by many problems and these problems are all caused in the minds of men. Therefore if our generation wishes to provide a service to mankind, then it must be to transform human beings by destroying their animal nature and developing their divine nature. There is only one way to do this, and it is by propagating the gentle message of the Buddha to all of humanity. The aim is not to `convert' the world to popular buddhism, but to enlighten all beings so that they can enjoy peace, harmony and contentment. For example the writer once, spoke to some imnates of Malaysia!s largest prison. He asked them what they would do on their return to society and their characteristic reply was to go back to their old `trade'. This shows that physical punishment alone is insufficient to correct one's behaviour, or change one's attitude towards life. Only spiritual development can effect a change in one's life.

If we wish to propagate the dhamma, we must train more efficient and effective speakers especially among the Sangha. At present representatives from Asian Buddhist Countries are in the process of forming a working committee to study the weaknesses and identify areas of improvement in the practice of Buddhism. This includes a better system of training religious teachers. Monks must be of exceptional quality in personal conduct as well as skill in disseminating the Dhamma. They must be knowledgeable about social service as well.

Buddhism is central to our daily lives. It can guide all of mankind -- laypeople as well as monks to contribute, their best to perform their respective roles in society. If each person understands how he or she can best contribute to the welfare of the world, then life will be meaningful. This is not mere wishful thinking. Given the vast positive advances we have made especially in the 20th Century, there is no reason to doubt that the Buddha Dhamma can be understood and practised to make the 21st Century the Perfect Age, the Age of the Mind. 

(This article formed the gist of the key-note speech delivered by the Ven. Dr. K. Sri Dhammananda at the opening ceremony of the 14th YBAM Biennial Convention held recently.)

|| MAIN PAGE || HAPPENINGS || FOCUS || WHO'S WHO || ORGANIZATIONS || PROJECTS || LINKS ||
|| DHAMMA || BUDDHIST WORLD || CHINESE PAGES ||